AMPHARITA: 


COUNT6SS  D1BRAZZA 


/ 


Ampharita 

AN   AMERICAN    IDYLL 

Illustrated  by  the  Author 
Second  Edition 


THEY    RESTED    BENEATH    A    BEETLING    CRAG. 


Ampharita 

AN  AMERICAN  IDTLL 

By 

The   Countess  di   Brazza 
(  Cora   Slocomb  ) 


'I  go  in  state  to  court,     .     .     . 
There  surely  I  shall  speak  for  mine  own  self, 
And  none  of  you  can  speak  for  me  so  well." 


Peace   Bureau 

37-45    West    22d  Street 

New  York  City 
1897 


Copyright,  1896, 
BY  COUNTESS  CORA  SLOCOMB  DI  BRAZZA-SAVORGNAN. 


All  rights  reserved. 


Snibrrsttg  Press: 
JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON,  CAMBRIDGE,  U.S.  A 


The  author  desires  to  thank  Dr.  J.  H.  McCormick,  Secre- 
tary of  the  National  Folk  Lore  Society,  Professor  Mason,  Mr. 
Thomas  Wilson,  Mr.  William  Dinwiddie,  and  other  gentlemen 
of  the  National  Museum  and  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  at 
Washington,  whose  kindness  enabled  her  to  make  detailed  studies 
for  the  illustrations  of  this  book,  and  furnished  her  with  much 
of  the  scientific  information  contained  in  the  explanatory  notes 
and  the  glossary. 


2209405 


PREFACE. 


To  the  casual  reader  the  illustrations  which  the  author 
has  made  to  accompany  this  book  will  be  of  interest 
principally  on  account  of  their  quaintness,  but  for  the 
archaeologist  and  anthropologist  those  of  the  American 
Idyll  will,  we  hope,  have  far  more  than  a  transitory 
charm.  They  are  the  fruit  of  a  careful  research,  and 
consist  of  studies  in  pen  and  ink  made  from  original 
specimens  and  photographs  recently  collected  in  Mexico 
on  an  expedition  inspired  by  the  United  States  Bureau 
of  Ethnology.  The  hero  of  the  story  had,  of  course, 
made  a  valuable  collection  of  just  such  objects ;  but  his 
captors  had  subsequently  destroyed  the  fruits  of  his  re- 
searches. A  few  rude  sketches  on  the  fly-leaf  of  one 
little  note-book  were  all  that  he  could  show  the  author 
when  she  met  him  in  Mexico.  The  collection  in  the 
Smithsonian  Museum  proved,  therefore,  an  invaluable 
resource. 

The  design  of  the  Indian  shield  on  the  cover  of 
the  American  Idyll  is  copied  from  a  Pima  war-shield 
forming  part  of  a  private  collection.  The  fac-simile  was 
obtained  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Thomas  Wilson, 
the  able  curator  of  the  Department  of  Ethnology  of  the 
National  Museum  at  Washington,  who  has  exhaustively 

v 


studied  the  wonderful  Swastika  or  Zodiacal  cross  which 
adorns  it.  The  descriptive  text  with  regard  to  it  is 
from  his  pen. 

Dr.  J.  H.  McCormick,  the  Secretary  of  the  United 
States  National  Folk  Lore  Society,  with  the  assistance 
of  the  experts  at  Washington,  selected  the  specimens 
which  have  served  as  models  for  the  illustrations  of  the 
Fauna  and  Flora  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  and  with  these 
gentlemen  he  prepared  the  explanatory  notes  thereon. 

Professor  Nason,  the  curator  of  the  Anthropological 
section  of  the  Smithsonian  Museum,  placed  the  treas- 
ures of  his  department  at  the  disposal  of  the  author, 
and  delegated  to  Mr.  William  Dinwiddie,  one  of  the  ex- 
plorers lately  returned  from  visiting  the  kindred  tribes 
to  the  Pimas,  the  care  of  selecting  and  grouping  the 
various  utensils,  relics,  and  photographs  most  charac- 
teristic of  the  daily  life  of  the  people.  Mr.  Dinwiddie 
volunteered  to  explain  the  usages  and  customs  of  these 
interesting  aborigines,  and  to  him  is  therefore  due  the 
greater  part  of  the  appendix. 

Illumined  by  such  a  galaxy  of  scientific  stars,  what 
might  have  been  an  arduous  task  became  a  pleasant 
pastime  for  the  author,  who  has  requested  us  to  unite 
her  hearty  thanks  to  the  above  gentlemen  with  those 
of  the  firm,  and  to  express  to  the  public  her  regret 
that  her  untutored  pen  could  not  do  fuller  justice  to 
the  subject. 

On  publishing  the  "Two  Types  of  To-Day"  it  has 
been  considered  advisable  for  the  author  to  explain  her 
object  in  placing  side  by  side  such  widely  different 
phases  of  human  life  as  the  ultra  fashionable  society 
depicted  in  "  A  Literary  Farce  "  and  the  aborigines  who 
figure  in  "  An  American  Idyll,"  —  the  more  so,  as  liter- 

vi 


ary  continuity  has  of  late  become  the  totum  of  a  certain 
class  of  critics,  and  the  juxtaposition  of  these  contrasting 
stories  might  be  considered  heresy. 

Literary  continuity  is  a  most  excellent  quality  in  an 
author,  and  in  moderation  forms  an  essential  factor  of 
success ;  but  if  too  much  venerated  it  is  apt  to  usurp 
the  place  of  creative  originality,  and  lead  its  votary 
along  the  smooth  slopes  of  mechanical  proficiency  into 
the  slough  of  perfunctory  work.  The  undue  exaltation 
of  continuity  is  a  consequence  of  the  contempt  for  most 
of  the  traditional  laws  of  criticism  evinced  by  the  super- 
educated  masses  who  hunger  for  cheap  and  spicy  daily 
reading,  as  well  as  cheap  and  spicy  daily  food,  and 
purchase  wrhat  they  find  for  sale  without  realizing  its 
noxious  possibilities. 

Through  the  development  of  labor-saving  machinery, 
run  by  steam  and  electricity,  printing  has  become  very 
easy,  inducing  an  enormous  output  of  books  and  peri- 
odicals ;  hence  writing  for  the  public  has  become  re- 
munerative and  widespread.  A  spurious,  effervescent 
notoriety  can  be  so  quickly  gained  by  those  who  pro- 
duce what  is  startling  and  uncommon,  no  matter  how 
much  it  may  sin  against  the  laws  of  rhetoric  and  good 
taste,  that  erudite  criticism  has  lost  its  prestige,  while 
the  salableness  instead  of  the  readableness  of  a  book  is 
considered  the  first  condition  of  success.  Then,  too, 
the  reign  of  machinery  had  developed  among  the  civi- 
lized a  mania  for  the  economy  of  time  and  labor.  Men 
strive  passionately  to  increase  the  luxury  of  their  lives. 
They  yield  exaggerated  admiration  to  exactness,  gen- 
eral smoothness,  and  glossy  finish,  which  seek  to  sup- 
plant the  pure,  classic  love  of  the  beautiful,  and  cause 
many  readers  to  overlook  the  subject  and  artistic  quality 

vii 


of  the  design  while  admiring  the  technical  perfection  ot 
the  workmanship. 

Money  has  been  the  most  powerful  factor  in  the  nine- 
teenth century,  and  as  it  has  paid  well  to  write,  the 
wielders  of  the  pen  have  become  a  legion.  It  pays  still 
better,  however,  to  invent  or  improve  labor  and  time- 
saving  machinery,  and  so  the  brightest  minds  have  been 
turned  from  book-making  to  practical  mechanics.  The 
most  material  part  of  mathematics  has  enthroned  itself 
in  the  highest  place.  The  Rule  of  One,  a  gilded  One, 
instead  even  of  the  old  Rule  of  Three,  has  usurped  the 
position  of  algebra  and  geometry.  Unknown  quantities 
are  at  a  discount.  The  man  of  the  period  knows  just 
what  he  and  everybody  else  wants,  and  he  will  go  ahead 
of  the  others  somehow.  "  For  money,"  he  says,  "  makes 
the  world  go  'round,"  and  he  cannot  rest  until  he  "  owns 
a  mint." 

"  What  pays  well  is  alone  worth  while  "  may  be  ac- 
cepted as  the  axiom  of  yesterday  and  of  to-day,  and 
book-makers  as  well  as  the  inventors  of  machinery  have 
been  influenced  by  its  sophistry.  Book-making  has 
consequently  become  mechanical ;  it  has  been  brought 
down  to  rule  and  measure,  so  that  words  are  bought 
and  sold  everywhere  by  the  yard  like  cloth,  and  the 
literati  sedately  discuss  in  the  first  periodicals  whether 
a  story  of  forty-five  thousand  words  or  one  of  a  hundred 
thousand  words  pays  best  without  taking  into  account 
the  exigencies  of  the  subject. 

Everything  about  a  book  save  the  design  or  plot  is 
produced  mechanically.  Many  editors  and  publishers 
will  not  consider  any  but  typewritten  manuscripts  unless 
it  be  signed  by  a  celebrated  author.  The  type  is  set, 
the  plates  are  molded  and  printed,  the  book  is  folded, 

viii 


cut,  and  bound  by  very  accurate  machinery.  Its  evolu- 
tion is  practically  the  same  as  that  of  wall  paper.  The 
producers  of  both  seek  to  meet  the  increasing  demand 
for  variety  and  novelty  by  paying  especial  attention  to 
the  quality  of  the  paper  and  the  general  "  get  up  "  of 
the  goods.  Everything  is  done  to  make  a  wall  paper 
or  book  as  novel  and  attractive  as  possible.  Provided 
the  illustrations  prove  pleasing,  the  printing  be  exact, 
the  mode  of  presentation  be  well  planned,  and  the  man- 
ufacturers advertise  unsparingly,  success  is  assured. 

The  average  customer  of  hangings,  the  average  pur- 
chaser of  books,  accepts  from  a  well-known  manufactory 
without  much  examination.  He  adorns  the  bare  plaster 
walls  of  his  house  or  brain  with  what  the  salesman  tells 
him  is  the  fashion,  serenely  oblivious  of  the  soiled  rags, 
diseased  and  threadbare  garments,  arsenic,  and  delete- 
rious poisons  which  may  have  entered  into  the  compo- 
sition of  the  showy  article.  The  showiest  and  cheapest 
is,  of  course,  the  most  pernicious.  Some  time  ago  phy- 
sicians attracted  attention  to  the  poisonous  effects  of 
certain  qualities  of  wall  paper,  and  the  public,  in  fear 
of  physical  destruction,  compelled  the  manufacturers  to 
use  innocuous  materials ;  but  how  to  incite  the  public 
to  exact  a  more  wholesome  quality  of  mental  hangings 
is  left  for  the  present  to  the  humanitarian. 

The  depraved  influence  of  impure  suggestiveness  in 
printed  words  is  just  as  strong  as  in  printed  pictures. 
This,  has  not  yet  been  sufficiently  realized  by  publishers. 
Should  the  ignominy  visited  upon  obscene  picture  ped- 
dlers and  traffickers  in  human  bodies  for  unwholesome 
or  degrading  uses  be  applied  to  the  collectors  and  emit- 
ters of  impure  suggestions  in  books  and  papers  which 
reach  hundreds  of  thousands  of  human  minds,  the  whole 

ix 


tone  of  literature  would  be  metamorphosed,  and  the 
coming  generation  would  be  relieved  of  the  incubus  of 
morbid  suggestiveness  which  has  ground  down  the  pres- 
ent decade,  driving  many  promising  youths  and  maidens 
towards  the  house  of  correction  or  the  lunatic  asylum. 

The  general  public,  if  the  opportunity  be  afforded  it, 
likes  to  read  about  intellectual  and  psychological  prob- 
lems when  they  are  treated  with  natural  simplicity.  This 
is  proved  by  the  success  of  many  well-written  books 
which  have  interested  us  of  late.  A  dozen  names  of 
novels  are  at  the  point  of  my  pen,  and  will  also  occur 
to  the  reader.  The  enormous  sale  of  these  books  shows 
that  descriptions  of  psychic  and  intellectual  struggles 
are  always  of  interest,  and  that  a  tone  of  sordid  realism 
is  not  necessary  to  insure  financial  success.  Why,  then, 
is  it  so  often  assumed  by  young  authors? 

I  think  the  reason  may  be  found  in  a  general  differ- 
ence about  handling  the  complex  realism  of  every  day 
life.  The  reading  public  is  better  acquainted  with  virtue, 
self-sacrifice,  patience,  intellectual  and  psychic  questions 
than  it  is  with  crime,  and  so  the  author  who  treats  of 
these  phases  of  life  exposes  himself  to  a  more  enlight- 
ened consideration  of  his  efforts.  When  an  average 
man  sees  his  personal  experiences  and  observations  in 
print  he  pauses  to  criticise  any  inconsistency  or  discre- 
pancy ;  he  discusses  the  situation  with  his  friends,  and 
they  all  express  an  opinion  upon  the  subject;  while 
when  he  reads  of  heinous  crimes,  pampered  vices,  or 
hideous  squalor  he  is  filled  with  a  complex  emotion 
which  he  does  not  know  how  to  analyze,  nor  dare  to 
qualify  as  disgust,  and  so  for  lack  of  experience  he  pro- 
nounces the  book  a  wonderful  instead  of  a  horrible 
work. 

x 


To  analyze  my  own  simple  creations  in  "  The  Two 
Types  of  To-Day. " 

The  reason  why  I  chose  two  pure  women  as  modern 
types  is  because  I  think  that  purity  is  more  typical  of 
the  human  race  than  impurity.  If  I  have  taken  them 
from  the  most  opposite  classes  and  environments  it  is 
to  show  that  the  same  spirit  is  latent  in  every  right- 
minded  person,  and  the  same  motives  inspire  the  true- 
hearted,  whether  educated  or  in  the  state  of  nature. 
The  difference  lies  in  the  strength  of  intellect  and  char- 
acter developed  by  sensible  cultivation.  Beings  who 
reside  continually  in  the  dark  lose  the  use  of  their  eyes, 
and,  inversely,  any  one  can  judiciously  increase  the  force 
and  beauty  of  his  \vhole  frame  or  abnormally  develop 
a  single  member. 

Civilization  as  we  actually  know  it  is  inclined  to 
develop  humanity  abnormally.  One  part  is  over-cul- 
tivated at  the  expense  of  the  remainder.  Unhealthy 
customs  have  been  exalted  into  laws,  and  healthy  laws 
have  been  allowed  to  die  of  inertia.  Whether  a  being 
can  resist  the  atrophizing  despotism  of  modern  civili- 
zation while  assimilating  the  culture  and  developing 
his  talents  depends  upon  his  intellectual  and  psychic 
training. 

"The  Two  Types,"  like  two  seedlings  of  the  same 
plant,  are  organically  the  same ;  the  whole  contrast  be- 
tween the  two  women  lies  in  their  development.  Their 
nationality,  dress,  habits,  complexions,  etc.,  are  but  acci- 
dents of  location.  Ampharita  might  have  been  born 
in  Mulberry  Street  or  on  Fifth  Avenue;  the  Baroness 
might  have  seen  the  light  as  a  pickaninny  or  a  papoose. 
I  have  placed  the  Baroness  first  as  a  representative  of 
the  type  of  modern  woman,  developed  by  means  of 

xi 


enlightened  culture,  which  does  not  neglect  to  satisfy 
the  soul  appetite  while  fostering  the  mind  and  body. 
Wise  instructors  have  sought  to  equip  her  for  the  battle 
with  the  problems  of  modern  life,  but  at  the  beginning 
of  the  "  Literary  Farce  "  she  is  as  yet  untried.  She 
aspires  to  assist  humanity  by  means  of  her  pen,  and 
she  applies  for  advice  to  an  expert  materialist,  repre- 
sented by  the  Literary  Adviser.  She  has  picked  up 
many  of  the  current  ideas  about  literature,  but  they 
appear  romanesque  when  compared  with  what  the  Ad- 
viser divulges.  In  searching  for  the  expression  of  her 
convictions  her  dormant  forces  are  aroused.  With  a 
sudden  outburst  of  soul-full  eloquence  she  expresses 
herself  in  a  manner  superior  even  to  her  preconceived 
ideal.  The  ardent  metal  has  been  tempered  by  the  cold 
wave  of  disillusion,  a  little  polish  and  the  sun-god's 
sword  will  be  ready  for  his  hand. 

The  Indian  maiden  feels  many  of  the  same  yearn- 
ings, and  is  exposed  to  as  severe  disillusions,  but  her 
aspirations  are  but  the  tender  outshoots  of  a  rich 
nature,  and  must  wither  when  exposed  to  scorching 
disappointment. 

The  Literary  Farce  is  daily  enacted  in  every  civilized 
centre  where  woman  aspires  to  be  a  helpmate.  The 
American  Idyll  is  but  the  old,  old  story  of  civilization 
seeking  to  possess  itself  of  all  that  it  counts  as  valuable, 
and  wantonly  discarding  what  it  does  not  momentarily 
need.  Year  by  year  the  forests  are  cut  down  or  burned 
away,  the  aromatic  herbs  are  plowed  in,  ditches  are  dug, 
and  the  face  of  nature  is  as  mercilessly  buffeted  and 
scarred  as  might  be  that  of  an  impotent  slave.  Decades 
must  'elapse  before  the  healing  hand  of  art  seeks  to 
rebeautify  it;  and  why? 

xii 


Because  the  lode-star  of  mankind  has  been  personal 
cupidity  instead  of  the  co-operative  amelioration  of  the 
human  race. 

A  bard  of  the  century  has  prophesied,  and  who  can 
disprove  the  hopeful  strophe,  — 

"  The  old  order  changeth,  yielding  place  to  new, 
And  God  fulfils  himself  in  many  ways." 

Tennyson,  in  "  The  Passing  of  Arthur." 

C.   A.    DI    BRAZZA-SAVORGNAN. 
NEW  YORK,  1896. 


xm 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

THEY  RESTED  BENEATH  A  BEETLING  CRAG    .     .     Frontispiece 

PHILANPELUS  TYPHON 20 

AN  OLLA 24 

A  WOMAN  COOKING 28 

SALVIA  COLUMBARIA 31 

TILIFOLIO,  THAMNOSMA  MONTANA     ........  32 

A  PAIR  OF  SANDALS 33 

THE  CEREUS  GIGANTEA  CACTUS 35 

TESTIMONIALS  OF  THEIR  UNTRAMMELLED  ZEAL  ....  38 

BROWN  COLUMBINES 39 

MARTYNIA  PODS  FOR  BASKET-MAKING 42 

HE  SAW  HER  COMING  DOWN  THE  IRREGULAR  STREET     .  44 

NATURE'S  PINS 48 

A  FAMILY  FETICH 54 

A  GORRITA  WEAVER  AND  A  KEE-HO  CARRIER  ....  57 

STILL  AMPHARITA  DID  NOT  MOVE      ........  59 

PERSONAL  FETICH 60 

THREE  VARIETIES  OF  OLLA  PADDLES 62 

SUMMONDSIA  CALIFORNICA — THE  QUININE  PLANT.     .     .  65 

A  MESSENGER  FROM  THE  PIMAS 69 

"  O  MY  MASTER,  YOU  FORGOT  ME  ! " 71 

xv 


PAGE 

POTTERY  MAKERS 77 

KITCHEN-RING  ACCESSORIES 82 

RATS  AND  MICE  —  DIPODOMYS  AGILIS,  ETC 84 

BATS  —  VESPERTILIO  EVOTIS 86 

TAH-SUN-UP,  CREOSOTE  WOOD 87 

A  HAIR  BRUSH 89 

A  KEE-HO  OR  CARRYING  BASKET 92 

PREPARING  FOOD 95 

ROCKING  AND  CARRYING  CRADLES 97 

AN  INDIAN  BABY 100 

YUCCA  BACCATA 103 

BRIDLED  TITMICE 105 

HOFFMANSEGGIA  STRICTA,  INDIAN  POTATO Io8 

THE  BISMOGA  CACTUS.    A  HIKORI no 

CUCUBITA  PALM  ATA,  THE  GOURD 113 

CARPOCARPSA  SALTITANS,  JUMPING  BEANS 116 

THE  PAISANO  OR  CHAPARRAL  COCK 119 

NATIVE  SPURS 121 

MESQUITE  FOOTBALLS 124 

MESQUITE  BEANS  AND  BEETLES 126 

AT  THE  STORE-HOUSE 129 

GAME  OF  GHING-SKOOT 131 

GAME  OF  WA-PE-TAIKH-GUT 132 

DRUM  AND  MAGIC  FLUTE 134 

TAN-WA,  GAMBLING  BONE 135 

THE  HARVEST  DANCE 137 

A  BIRD'S  NEST 140 

NATIVE  BIRD-CAGE  AND  LYOENA  SONORENSIS    ....  145 
"  THE  Two  INDIANS  WENDED  THEIR  WAY  TOWARDS  THE 

PUEBLO" 153 

OLLA  RING,  PADDLE,  AND  DANCE  RATTLE 154 

PITAIYA  CACTUS 156 

xvi 


PAGB 

CENA  CACTUS 158 

LEPUS  TEXIANUS  EREMICUS,  JACK  RABBITS 160 

HELODERMA  HORRIDUM 162 

A  COYOTE,  CANIS  LATRANS 163 

THE  MESQUITE-TREE 165 

WITH  THE  CHIHUAHUANS 167 

THE  VlNEGARONE  OR  THE  LUPHONUS  GlGANTEUS  .     .     .  171 

WATER  CARRIERS 175 

BARREL  CACTUS 176 

AMPHARITA  BESIDE  THE  CLOSED  DOOR  OF  THE   CACTUS 

HUT 178 

HER  MOTHER  WATCHED  HER  FROM  THE  KITCHEN-RING  .  184 

AMPHARITA  ALONE  WITH  THE  HORSE 185 

TARANTULE  MYGALE  AND  THEIR  VICTIM 188, 

THE  TROGON 191 

A  BURIAL  HUT 196 

THE  BARRANCA 200 

BUTTERFLIES 204 


xvu 


An   American    Idyll. 


CHAPTER   I. 

He  left  the  barren-beaten  thoroughfare, 

Chose  the  green  path  that  show'd  the  rarer  foot, 

And  there  among  the  solitary  downs, 

Full  often  lost  in  fancy,  lost  his  way  ; 

Till  as  he  traced  a  faintly  shadow'd  track, 

That  all  in  loops  and  links  among  the  dales 

Ran  to  the  Castle  of  Astolat,  he  saw, 

Fired  from  the  west  far  on  a  hill,  the  towers. 

Thither  he  made. 

ELAIXE. 

THE  following  is  a  true  story :  a  plain  unvarnished 
tale,  and  the  hero, — well,  he  is  no  hero  at  all,  but 
simply  a  scientist.  He  is  now  travelling  about  the 
Americas,  adding  glory  to  his  already  illustrious  name, 
and  you  may  meet  him  any  day.  He  gave  me  the 
story  as  it  stands ;  but  his  name  is  his  own,  and  I  must 
let  him  keep  it.  As  to  changing  it,  that  would  be  a 
deception,  and  would  impair  the  sincerity  of  all  that 
follows. 

The  Indians  of  Arizona  and  northern  Mexico  knew 
him  as  the  great,  white  Shaman  or  Medicine-man. 

19 


This  was  the  most  honorable  title  in  their  vocabulary ; 
and  to  their  ears  no  other  name  would  have  been  noble 
enough  for  the  powerful,  blue-eyed  stranger  who  knew 
so  much,  and  wrought  such  marvels  that  to  their  un- 
taught minds  he  seemed  endowed  with  supernatural 
powers. 

To  the  author  he  was  a  thoughtful  and  genial  friend, 
an  interesting  and  eloquent  narrator,  an  original  and 
entertaining  Scientist ;  and  such  she  trusts  he  will  prove 
himself  to  all  throughout  this  record  of  an  episode  in 
his  eventful  life. 

This  Scientist  had  long  desired  to  undertake  an  ex- 
ploring expedition  into  the  southern  portion  of  what  is 
known  as  the  Great  American  Desert.  His  wish  was 
not  only  to  study  the  topography  of  the  country,  the 
language,  customs,  and  physiognomy  of  its  human  in- 
habitants, its  meteorology  and  geo- 
logy ;  but  also  to  collect  and  classify, 
as  far  as  possible,  specimens  of  its 
flora  and  of  the  animals,  reptiles, 

PHILAKPELUS   TYPHON.       ^    j^^    Q{    ^     highlands     Qf    the 

Sierra  Madre,  which  are  even  less  known  to  science 
than  the  scattered  aborigines  of  the  same  desolate 
region. 

He  was  determined  to  travel  alone,  so  that  he  might 
feel  at  liberty  to  reside  as  long  as  he  chose  in  the 
Indian  villages ;  and  he  proposed  to  avoid  all  contact 
with  the  white  settlers,  whose  vicinity  induces  a  mar- 
vellously rapid  deterioration  and  annihilation  of  native 
traditions  and  morals.  He  carefully  selected  the  scien- 
tific paraphernalia  he  considered  indispensable  to  the 
success  of  his  enterprise.  These  instruments  were  of 
the  kind  reduced  to  the  lightest  and  most  compact 

2O 


form,  in  accordance  with  the  peculiar  exigencies  of 
land  exploration.  He  interviewed  the  curators  of  the 
European  museums,  and  the  secretaries  of  the  anthro- 
pological societies.  He  sailed  for  the  United  States,  and 
at  Washington  examined  the  latest  notes  which  had 
been  collected  by  the  Ethnological  Bureau  bearing 
upon  the  southwestern  country.  He  found  his  suppo- 
sitions corroborated :  no  reliable  data  existed  regarding 
the  elevated  northwestern  portion  of  Mexico.  He  ac- 
cordingly decided  to  go  there  as  directly  as  possible, 
beginning  his  explorations  at  a  flag  station  on  the 
Southern  Pacific  Railway  between  Ackerman  and  Silver 
City. 

He  devoted  a  few  more  days  to  procuring  the  proper 
credentials,  and  in  making  a  discriminating  investment 
in  compactly  preserved  edibles,  the  cans  of  which  were 
to  serve  the  double  purpose  of  carrying  his  daily  rations 
into  the  desert,  and  of  safely  exporting  his  contemplated 
collection.  To  this  he  added  a  store  of  bolts  and  rem- 
nants of  gaudy  cotton-cloth,  boxes  of  nails,  pen-knives, 
scissors,  and  beads,  with  which  to  purchase  the  friend- 
ship of  the  natives. 

He  presented  his  respects  to  his  ambassador,  left  at 
the  embassy  his  presumable  address  in  Mexico  for  the 
forwarding  of  his  remittances  and  mail,  and  started  out 
for  a  year  of  travel,  research,  and  adventure. 

The  so-called  station,  at  which  he  left  the  express 
train,  consisted  of  a  small  warehouse  built  of  pine  boards, 
in  the  form  of  an  over-grown  packing-case.  Connected 
with  it  by  a  tarred  roof,  forming  a  ramshackle  shed,  was 
a  coffin-like  box  labelled  "  telegraph  office,"  which  was 
hermetically  closed.  On  one  side,  several  rusty  cattle- 
pens,  full  of  sun-baked  filthiness,  flanked  this  structure; 

21 


on  the  other,  a  low  cave  dug  out  of  a  convenient  clay 
bank  and  rudely  boarded  across  the  orifice,  formed  a 
dwelling  for  the  railroad  employes.  Before  this  "  dug- 
out" extended  a  deep  porch,  extemporized  out  of 
charred  railroad-sleepers  spliced  together  and  set  on 
end,  roofed  by  earth  and  brush-covered  planks.  This 
was  furnished  with  two  hammocks  and  several  empty 
barrels  and  petroleum  cans,  hacked  or  dented  by  long 
service  in  lieu  of  tables  and  chairs.  Near  the  track  on 
the  opposite  side  stood  an  enormous  wooden  cistern 
painted  red,  which  had  been  provided  by  the  company 
to  hold  the  alkali  waters  of  an  artesian  well,  that  the 
boiler  of  a  leaky,  or  over-taxed  locomotive  might  be  re- 
filled, if  necessary,  between  the  usual  watering-stations. 

Beyond  this  there  was  absolutely  nothing  but  cream- 
colored  dust  and  sage-brush,  diversified  about  the  track 
for  a  limited  distance  by  an  assortment  of  rags,  rusty  tin 
cans,  and  broken  car-wheels,  worn  or  bent  rails,  bolts, 
and  nails,  the  meanest  and  most  unpicturesque  flotsam 
and  jetsam  of  nineteenth  century  progress. 

The  two  unfortunate  employes  who  had  been  stranded 
by  fate  in  this  inhospitable  region,  received  the  unex- 
pected visitor  with  suspicious  surliness.  They  could 
think  of  nothing  which  could  possibly  cause  a  sane  man 
to  leave  the  train  at  their  dreary  station,  save  fear  of 
outraged  justice  or  an  order  to  examine  their  books  and 
warehouse ;  the  latter  of  which  would  have  been  dis- 
tasteful to  them. 

A  scrutiny  of  the  Scientist's  bright  face  so  far  reas- 
sured them,  however,  that  the  elder  of  the  two,  after 
expectorating  an  amber  jet  and  safely  stowing  away  the 
quid  of  tobacco  by  a  dexterous  twirl  of  his  practiced 
tongue,  vouchsafed  a  remark. 

22 


"  Howdy,  stranger?  "  he  said,  jerking  up  his  overalls. 

His  companion  echoed,  "  Howdy?  " 

"  Howdy?"  answered  the  Scientist,  determined  to  fol- 
low the  customs  of  the  country  while  letting  the  men 
begin  the  conversation,  and  giving  himself  a  chance  to 
study  their  characteristics. 

"  Du  tell,  whatever  brings  you  and  them  queer  traps 
of yourn  to  this  Gaud-forsaken  country?  You'd  better 
look  sharp,  stranger ;  this  ain't  no  starmpin'  groun'  for 
boomers;  eh,  Jim?  " 

"  Haw,  haw !  you  bet  it  ain't,"  laughed  his  companion. 

The  Scientist  took  this  overture  more  good-naturedly 
than  it  was  meant,  and  explained  to  them  that  he  was  a 
man  of  leisure  travelling  for  his  own  pleasure. 

At  this  they  winked,  nudged  each  other,  and  laughed 
so  uproariously  that  Jim,  completely  overcome  at  the 
thought  of  any  possible  pleasure  being  connected  with 
travelling  in  Arizona,  took  refuge  in  one  of  the  ham- 
mocks, where  he  rolled  and  flopped  about  in  a  most 
alarming  manner,  he-haw-hawing  and  pish-shishing  by 
turns. 

The  Scientist  had  brought  with  him  from  El  Paso  a 
large  basket  of  fresh  eatables  intended  as  a  remedy  for 
such  an  attack  as  he  was  now  witnessing;  so  calling  the 
elder  aside,  he  untied  the  wrapping-paper  and  slid  off 
the  cover  so  as  to  exhibit  the  contents. 

At  the  sight  of  the  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables  which 
were  on  top,  the  man  whistled  and  remarked :  "  Oh, 
golly,  yum-yum,  you  bet."  At  which  the  younger,  in 
the  hammock,  stopped  his  gyrations  and,  dropping  out, 
loped  over  to  the  basket  to  watch  with  greedy  eyes  the 
unpacking  of  the  delicacies. 

When  the  Scientist  lifted  out  several  loaves  of  fresh, 

23 


golden-crusted  baker's  bread,  a  brace  of  broiled  chickens, 
and  a  roast  shoulder  of  mutton,  the  men  grew  immensely 
respectful ;  and  they  offered,  as  their  contribution  to  the 
feast,  some  good  Mexican  coffee  and  a  can  of  condensed 
milk. 

While  eating,  the  Scientist  inquired  about  the  nature 
of  the  country  southward,  and  as  to  whether  they  knew 
where  he  could  obtain  a  pair  of  sure-footed  ponies,  ac- 
customed to  privations,  so  that  they  could 
be  relied  upon  to  carry  him  and  his  be- 
longings across  the  desert. 

Between  gulps  the  elder  answered  orac- 
ularly :  "  'Bout  on  twenty  mile'  along  that 
'ere  trail  south'ard,  mabby  you  'd  fin'  some 
greasers  as  'ud  'av'  a  mustang  or  two  for 
sale ;  providin',  of  course,  as  how  they 
ain't  moved  off  af'er  fresh  grass." 

"Thank  you,  that  would  be  better  luck 

AN   OLLA.  11-1 

than  I  expected  on  looking  about  alter 
the  departure  of  the  train.  May  I  swing  my  hammock 
with  yours  and  stay  here  to-night?  I  will  start  out  to 
find  them  at  sunrise,  if  you  will  take  care  of  my 
baggage." 

"  Yaas,  never  you  min'  'bout  your  truck,  we  uns  can 
take  care  on  it  right  enough,  and  the  sooner  it 's  undy 
kiverthe  better,  for  what  with  the  bloomed  heavy  djews  and 
them  'ere  tramps  aas  comes  along  the  ro'd  on  free  tickets, 
hangin'  on  undy  the  cars  without  a  '  by-yer-leave,'  on 
the  way  from  down  East  to  Californy  for  fruit  pick- 
ing and  any  free  taking  they  can  fin'  'roun',  I  say 
it's  no  joke !  "  and,  sighing,  he  took  a  fresh  helping  of 
chicken. 

"  They 's  cummin'  along  purty  lively  juss  now,"  he 

24 


continued,  storing  the  half-masticated  food  in  his  cheek, 
"  an'  if  they  once  sees  them  things,  they  '11  pick  your 
boxes  as  clean  as  the  tater-bugs  eat  off  a  crap.  'T  ain't 
for  nothin'  they  says,  their  '  on'y  business  's  a  pickin','  - 
addin'  on  '  an'  stealin' ! '  under  their  breaf !  Just  to  quote 
Scriptur  for  luck  !  " 

All  three  men  laughed  ;  and  the  Scientist  expressed 
his  thanks  for  the  information,  and  offered  to  put  away 
the  things  at  once  if  one  of  them  would  unlock  the  door 
of  the  shed. 

"  Look  a  here,"  said  the  younger  man,  "  I  like  your 
looks,  stranger  !  I  say  with  my  pard,  it 's  all  right  if  we 
lock  up  this  'ere  bloomin'  truck  o'  yourn ;  but  if  you  wait 
to  start  to  walk  twenty  mile  under  to-morry's  scorchin' 
sun,  your  'sperience  won't  help  you  no-how.  Why, 
you  '11  lie  down  gaping  and  wriggling  for  a  little  brush 
shadow,  worse  'an  a  fish  out  o'  water.  You  's  tender  yet 
from  the  States ;  an'  it  would  take  more  hardening  an' 
you  's  had  in  your  hull  life  to  keep  your  brain  from  siz- 
zling right  up  under  this  'ere  sun." 

"  But  remember  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  find 
my  way  over  these  wastes  at  night.  You  know  the 
country ;  but  I  Ve  lived  here  just  two  hours." 

"  'Ump,  that's  true  !  Stranger,  you  never  said  a  truer 
word.  Where  there 's  only  two,  we  two 's  the  oldest.  He's 
one;  but  I  's  the  oldest,  stepped  off  the  train  firs',"  — 
laughed  the  other  man,  as  he  spat  on  his  hands,  and  rub- 
bed them  together  before  setting  to  work  to  store  away 
the  Scientist's  stuff.  "  But,  as  you  says  as  how  you  be 
a  'splorer,  and  I  he'an  tell,  when  a  kid,  as  how  the 
odds  atwixt  a  'splorer  and  a  reggallar  man  was,  'caus'  a 
'splorer  was  sure  to  fin'  his  way  'thout  knowin'  nuthin' 
'bout  the  country.  Ef  that  ain't  so,  where  's  the  differ- 


ence  twixt  you  an'  we  uns  ?  Why,  stranger,  then  we  's 
got  the  majority  of  the  very  firstest  class  'splorer,  —  here 
leastwise." 

The  Scientist  laughed  again  as  he  said :  "  Well,  you 
see  an  explorer's  business  is  to  find  his  way  where  no 
one  has  ever  been  before ;  but  as  you  have  been  to  this 
Indian  camp —  ' 

"  Greaser,"  corrected  the  man. 

"  To  this  Greaser  camp,"  continued  the  Scientist,  "  it 
would  not  be  exploring  at  all  for  me  to  find  my  way  there, 
as  all  the  inhabitants  of  this  place  know  where  it  is. 
Could  n't  one  of  the  inhabitants  manage  to  show  me 
the  way  then  ?  —  I  could  travel  to-night." 

The  elder  of  the  men  stroked  his  unkempt  beard,  while 
the  eyes  of  the  younger  flashed  with  anticipation. 

"  Lemme  go,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  It 's  agin  the  rules,"  said  the  other. 

"  T  ain't,"  asseverated  his  aid.  "  If  one  of  us  be  sick- 
abed,  or  have  business  for  the  Comp'ny,  tuther  keeps 
guard,  an'  it 's  O.  K.  The  Comp'ny 's  the  sarvent  of  civ- 
ilization, an'  this  'ere  gent  has  been  sent  out  'splorin'  in 
the  sarvice  of  civilization.  That 's  clear  as  the  nose  on 
your  ugly  mug.  I  '11  show  him  the  trail  to  the  Greasers 
in  the  sarvice  of  civilization  ;  therefore  the  Comp'ny  and 
he  and  we  's  all  one  and  solid,"  he  added  didactically. 
"  An'  '  the  leas'  said  soones'  mended,'  as  my  old  ma  'u'd 
have  said." 

"  Hump  !  "  growled  the  older  man,  "  you  allus  had  a 
way  of  argying  as  fitted  your  likes,  Jim.  You  see,  stran- 
ger, Jim  was  the  oratur  of  his  debatin'  club  down  East 
afur  he  cut  and  run  because  he  took  to  —  " 

A  loud  fit  of  coughing,  which  convulsed  the  younger 
man,  drowned  the  end  of  the  explanation. 

26 


"Afore  I  took  to  rollin',  sir,  and  got  stranded  'ere 
with  this  bloomin'  ijjut,"  Jim  asserted  on  recovering 
himself.  "  '  A  rollin'  stone  gathurs  no  moss,'  said  ma,  too. 
But  my  Lord,  nuther  does  a  sittin'  one  'ere  in  Arizony." 

"  The  Lord  forgot  Arizony  when  He  dictated  them 
proverbs,  you  bet !  "  added  the  elder  man,  as  a  general 
explanation  and  compromise. 

"It's  too  dry,"  suggested  the  other,  deprecatingly. 
At  which  both  swore  and  roared  with  laughter,  and  thus 
harmony  was  restored. 

"  We  '11  start  affer  clearin'  up  an'  a  smoke ;  an'  we  '11 
take  with  us  what's  leff'  of  the  vittles,"  said  Jim,  authori- 
tatively. "  The  sun  don'  set  nohow  these  blamed  hort 
D'june  days  till  all  hours,  an'  by  the  time  the  daylight's 
all  gone  the  moon  will  be  startin'  up. 

"  See  a  here,"  he  added,  leading  the  Scientist  aside 
and  whispering  hoarsely  that  his  partner,  who  was 
scratching  about  in  a  fit  of  tidyness,  might  not  hear,  "  if 
you  had  sutthin'  stronger  'an  milk  an'  coffee  we  could 
make  a  fine  bargain ;  but  don't  yer  let  my  pard  know 
wot  can  you  takes  it  from,  or  the  loss  'ill  be  all  in  quality, 
an'  gain  in  alkali  at  this  end  of  the  line.  Thar  won't  be 
no  man  to  work  the  signals  neethur  when  the  next  train 
comes  throu',  an'  you  '11  fin'  a  mighty  weak  alkali  toddy 
in  your  can  next  time  you  wants  sutthin'  straight  pretty 
bad." 

The  Scientist  thanked  Jim  for  the  suggestion ;  and 
they  managed  to  remove  a  large  can  of  whiskey  from  the 
stores  without  the  elder  man  suspecting  the  presence  of 
its  mates  among  the  saddle-bags  and  boxes  which  he 
stored  away  in  the  warehouse ;  for  the  Scientist  was  a 
wily  young  man,  and  had  ordered  the  whiskey  cans 
marked  with  flaring  tomato-catsup  labels. 

27 


The  tramp  across  the  desert  in  the  bracing  night-air 
was  not  unpleasant ;  but  when  the  Scientist  and  his  guide 
reached  the  spot  where  the  Greasers  had  been  encamped, 
they  found  that  they  had  already  sought  fresh  grazing 
lands.  The  hour  was  still  early,  but  there  was  light 


A    WOMAN   COOKING. 


enough  to  see  the  unmistakable  signs  of  a  recent  exodus ; 
and  when  the  sky  brightened,  and  the  dawn  lit  up  the 
face  of  Nature,  they  were  able  to  discover  by  what  trail 
the  caravan  had  moved  away.  Following  this,  the  white 
men  presently  came  upon  the  herdsmen  encamped  a  few 
miles  to  the  eastward,  at  the  bottom  of  a  sparsely-wooded 
gully. 

Jim  had  warned  the  Scientist  not  to  announce  the 
object  of  their  visit,  but  to  allow  him  to  be  both  spokes- 
man and  manager  of  the  transaction,  to  which  the  for- 

28 


eigner  gladly  assented.  Jim  led  the  way,  and  saluted 
the  men  near  the  fire  in  mongrel  Spanish,  asking  them 
if  they  had  seen  a  stranger  dressed  something  like  his 
companion  who  should  have  passed  that  way. 

The  Mexican  who  was  standing  over  the  camp-fire, 
where  some  jerked  beef  was  cooking,  easily  fell  into  the 
trap,  and  gave  a  minute  description  of  all  the  men  they 
had  seen  during  the  past  winter.  He  asked  the  stran- 
gers if  they  had  breakfasted,  and,  receiving  a  negative 
answer,  invited  them  to  share  the  meal  which  was  now 
ready. 

Jim  in  return  opened  the  whiskey  can,  and  pres- 
ently the  combined  effect  of  the  hot  sun  and  the  fire- 
water served  to  elate  the  hospitable  half-breeds,  and  they 
descanted  upon  the  merits  and  demerits  of  their  various 
ponies,  and  put  them  through  their  paces  and  tricks  for 
the  amusement  of  their  guests.  This  was  just  what  Jim 
wanted,  and  by  means  of  compliments,  questions,  and 
"fire-water"  he  drew  them  on  until  they  shoTved  him 
two  fine  creatures,  which  they  declared  were  knowing 
and  fleet  as  deer,  but  as  tame  as  pet  dogs. 

A  few  judicious  observations  and  a  little  more  flattery 
settled  the  business,  and  the  ponies  changed  hands  for  a 
very  small  sum,  of  which  the  larger  portion  remained  as 
an  usurious  percentage  in  the  possession  of  Jim.  A 
Mexican  saddle  was  added  as  a  return  for  the  almost 
empty  whiskey  can,  which  Jim  had  offered  to  them  as  a 
token  of  good-will. 

The  Scientist  placed  the  saddle  upon  the  larger  of  his 
purchases,  while  Jim  mounted  the  other  and  rode  bare- 
back to  the  station. 

Here  the  Scientist  wisely  ignored  the  money  which 
he  had  seen  cleaving  to  the  palm  of  his  guide  during 

29 


the  transfer  at  the  Greaser  camp,  and  paid  him  in  full 
for  his  services.  On  getting  his  traps  from  the  store- 
house to  form  the  pack,  the  Scientist  was  alarmed  by 
observing  unmistakable  signs  of  the  pard's  inquisitive- 
ness  ;  but  a  hasty  examination  proved  to  him  that,  owing 
to  the  labels,  the  cans  containing  the  whiskey  had  not  been 
molested,  and  he  decided  to  condone  all  other  delin- 
quencies in  consideration  of  the  valuable  assistance  he 
had  received. 

While  Jim  had  been  engaged  in  the  purchase  of  the 
ponies,  the  Scientist  had  interviewed  an  Indian  from  the 
southwest  who  was  in  their  employ,  and  had  gained 
from  him  a  good  deal  of  information  about  the  country  he 
intended  to  traverse.  So  he  was  in  haste  to  be  off  before 
the  two  men  ate  up  any  more  of  his  provisions. 

When  he  left  the  station,  he  turned  southward,  leading 
the  heavily-laden  pack-horse  by  means  of  a  lariat  tied 
to  his  saddle-bow ;  for  he  feared  that  it  would  not  follow 
after  him  until  accustomed  to  his  voice,  and  to  have  it 
return  to  its  former  owners,  laden  with  his  instruments 
and  supplies,  would  be  fatal  to  his  purpose,  and  would 
endanger  life  itself. 

After  less  than  an  hour  of  steady  travel  the  railroad, 
which  cut  across  the  desolate  region,  its  path  marked 
by  a  livid  scar  of  shadow,  had  been  hidden  from  view 
by  the  rolling  sand-hills,  and  with  it  he  lost  sight  of  the 
last  trace  of  modern  civilization  he  was  destined  to 
encounter  for  months. 

The  trail  he  followed  turned  southward,  and,  after 
crossing  an  arroyo,  was '  soon  lost  amid  a  network  of 
hoof  tracings,  which  were  mostly  the  tracks  left  by  ani- 
mals seeking  food  and  water. 

As  the  afternoon  wore  on,  the  sun's  fury  diminished,. 

30 


and  the  alkali  dust  lost  its  blinding  whiteness.  The 
light  changed  to  golden,  and  the  dry  soil  about  the 
Scientist  grew  pinky,  while  the  sparse  clumps  of  saccaton 
grass  and  brush  became  iridescent  with  the  play  of 
color  found  upon  green  mother-of- 
pearl.  From  the  roots  of  the  grass 
and  shrubs  long  purple  shad- 
ows extended  like  ribbon 
streamers  far,  far  to 
the  eastward ; 
the  bright 
blue 


SALVIA    COLUMBARIA. 


flowers  of  the 
desert  salvia 
stood  out  in  sharp  out- 
line upon  the  velvety 
smoothness  of  the  wind- 
blown sand,  and  here  and  there  a  scrubby  clump  of 
Thamnosma  Montanum  stretched  out  its  leafless  yellow 
twigs,  starred  with  purple  blossoms,  as  though  to  attract 
the  passer's  attention  to  the  aromatic  and  curative  quali- 
ties which  it  possesses. 

Like  a  lagging  lover  aroused  to  the  lateness  of  the 
hour,  the  sun  took  leave  of  the  earth  and  dropped  be- 
low the  horizon.  The  sky  grew  gray,  a  cool,  yellow 
light  lay  upon  the  face  of  Nature.  Then,  as  if  with 
jealous  blush  at  memory  of  the  ardent  kisses  it  had  wit- 
nessed, the  sky  became  suffused  with  rosy  red,  which, 
spreading  from  the  zenith,  descended  on  all  sides,  until 

31 


the  chaste  canopy  of  heaven  was  transformed  into  a 
copper  dome,  beneath  which  the  meza  clothed  itself  in 
the  gorgeous  coloring  of  the  nasturtium,  until,  when  the 
dewy  freshness  of  evening  began  to  fall,  all  faded,  and 
the  earth  donned  a  blanket  of  indigo  and  russet  before 
falling  asleep  beneath  the  stars. 

The  Scientist  had  not  expected  to  reach  water  that 
night,  and  had  provided  accordingly.    Arousing  himself 
from  the  revery  into  which  he  had  fallen  while  contem- 
plating the  phenomena  of  Nature,  he  noticed  the  lag- 
ging  steps    of  his    ponies,    and 
stopped    them    upon    the    first 
patch  of  grass  they  reached. 

That  night  he  tethered  them 
securely  ;  for  he  knew  that  they 
were  still  too  near  their  former 
companions  to  be  allowed  to 
roam  at  will  upon  the  prairie. 
Personally,  he  felt  more  tired 
than  hungry,  so  he  was  content 
at  the  thought  that  the  remains 
of  his  dinner  would  serve  as 
supper,  and,  rolling  himself 
in  his  blanket,  fell  asleep  on  the  hot  sand,  while  the 
cold  touch  of  the  desert  night  chilled  his  exposed 
face. 

The  next  day  the  wanderer  rested  at  noon  and  trav- 
elled late,  so  that  the  night  was  well  advanced  when  he 
reached  a  spring  which  had  been  indicated  to  him  by  a 
party  of  Indians  he  had  met  in  the  morning.  Here  he 
rested  for  a  day,  examining  the  flora  and  insects,  and 
the  next  dawn  saw  him  again  pushing  southward.  Thus 
he  advanced  for  many  weeks,  sometimes  straight  for- 

32 


TILIFOL10,   TEMNOSMA. 
MONTANA. 


ward,   and  at  others,  deviating  to   the  east  or  west   in 
pursuit  of  knowledge. 

He  kept  as  much  as  possible  to  well-worn  trails, 
and  frequently  encamped  with  the  Indians.  He  was 
sometimes  received  coldly;  but  as  a  rule  the  people 
were  hospitably  inclined,  and  glad  to  welcome  him. 

Though  young,  he  possessed  a  store  of  valuable  ex- 
periences which  he  had  acquired  on  previous  expedi- 
tions. He  had  begun  travelling  in  uncivilized  regions 
almost  as  a  child  ;  and,  grown  familiar  with  a  score  of 
languages  and  their  derivatives,  he  could  dextrously 
evolve  simple  phrases  quite  comprehensible  to  the 
natives.  He  was  especially  well  versed  in  Spanish,  and 
found  all  its  modifications  easy.  Besides  this,  being  a 
fluent,  magnetic,  and  very  graceful  speaker,  when  words 
failed,  gesticulation  and  glances  became  his  interpreters, 
and  through  their  assistance  he  could  carry  on  sufficient 
conversation. 

He  was   growing  tired   of  constant  change  when  at 
sunset,  one  evening,  he  perceived  in  the  distance  before 
him  many  faint  wreaths  of  smoke  as- 
cending from  a  high  plateau.     They 
stood    out    white    against    the    blue 
background  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  and 
streaked  with  violet  the  glowing  west- 
ern  sky.     His   ear   caught    the    faint 
but  welcome  sound  of  lowing  cattle. 
A    dark    belt    of    rustling     cornfields     A  PAIR  OF  SANDALS. 
swept  upward  from  the  plain  on  which 
he  stood,  and  he  realized  with  a  thrill  that  beyond  it 
might  lie  the  chief  settlement  of  the  Pima  Bajas,  about 
whom  he  had  read  and  heard  so  much  that  was  interest- 
ing, yet  illusive. 

3  33 


Curiosity  urged  him  to  proceed,  but  prudence  per- 
suaded him  to  await  the  dawn ;  and  he  encamped  for 
the  night,  full  of  exhilaration  at  the  thought  that  he 
might  have  reached  at  last  the  proposed  centre  of  his 
explorations. 

As  he  lay  stretched  beneath  the  stars,  with  the  sound 
of  the  crickets  and  the  rustle  of  the  corn  filling  his 
ears,  he  reviewed  what  he  knew  about  this  isolated 
people. 

The  best  of  all  the  Piman  tribes  which  inhabit  Arizona 
and  New  Mexico,  the  Pima  Bajas,  have  lived  for  genera- 
tions upon  the  elevated  tablelands  which  slope  gradually 
from  the  Sierra  Mad  re  to  the  arid  regions  between  El 
Paso  and  the  more  fertile  neighborhood  of  the  capital 
of  Chihuahua. 

The  Spanish  explorers  of  the  sixteenth  century  dis- 
covered these  Indians,  and  passed  on  to  California.  The 
missionary  friars  paused  on  their  way  thither  to  instruct 
them  in  the  rudiments  of  the  Christian  religion,  and 
their  pueblos  still  contain  places  of  worship,  much  the 
worse  for  wear,  while  a  native  priest  travels  about  among 
them,  baptizing,  confirming,  and  marrying  the  living,  or 
consecrating  the  graves  in  which  lie  the  bodies  of  those 
who  have  departed  during  his  absence. 

Southward  extends  the  land  of  the  Tarahumari, 
heathen  and  Christian.  Far  to  the  westward,  in  the  hot 
and  sandy  regions,  many  miles  beyond  and  below  the 
mountain  defiles,  roam  the  Papajos,  a  tribe  which  long 
ago  detached  itself  from  the  Mexican  Pimas,  and  has 
been  decimated  by  many  diseases  which  the  Indians  of 
the  elevated  regions  escape. 

All  these  tribes  were  said  to  be  inferior  to  the  Pima 
Bajas,  who  live  upon  the  central  tableland,  and  belong 

34 


among  the  most  interesting  of  the  races  indigenous  to 
Mexico.  Some  go  so  far  as  to  claim  that  proofs  exist 
philologically,  as  well  as  physiologically,  that  they  are  a 
branch  of  the  original  Aztec  stock,  left  by  the  way  on 
its  early  emigration  southward,  or  else  thrown  off  at  a 
later  period  as  a  hardy  colony. 

The  Pima  Bajas  are  everywhere  described  as  hospit- 
able,   peace-loving,  and    genial.     They  are,  as    a    rule, 


THE  CEREUS  GIGANTEA  CACTUS. 


prosperous,  and  live  in  large  villages,  or  pueblos,  com- 
posed of  houses  built  of  adobe,  mesquite,  and  cactus 
wood.  The  early  authors  of  the  Spanish  conquest 
have  much  to  say  with  regard  to  them,  and  chronicle  at 
length  what  the  friars  reported  of  their  ancestors,  whom 
they  extolled  for  their  culture,  virtue,  civility,  and  facile 
convertibility  to  Christianity. 

Such  were  the  last  thoughts  with  which  the  Scientist 
closed    his   eyes    for   the   night,  and  when  on  awaken- 

35 


ing  at  dawn  he  looked  again  towards  the  plateau,  his 
practiced  eye  confirmed  the  surmise  of  the  evening 
before. 

A  wide  well-beaten  trail  stretched  before  him  zigzag- 
ing  between  the  waving  cornstalks;  and  as  he  ascended 
it  on  horseback,  he  could  see  above  the  floating  green 
ribbons  to  where  hazy  lines  of  purple  shadow,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  meza,  indicated  well-watered  barran- 
cas, or  gulches,  full  of  the  promise  of  that  luxuriant  life 
he  was  so  anxious  to  study. 

A  bit  of  waste  land  came  in  sight,  and  beyond  it  lay 
the  village,  its  grass  houses  and  heaped-up  roofs  spark- 
ling in  the  morning  sun. 

The  Scientist  assumed  his  most  engaging  manner,  and 
approached  the  pueblo.  Dismounting  beneath  a  tree 
half  way  across  the  strip  of  land,  he  seated  himself  be- 
side the  road  in  full  view  of  the  village,  and  waited  for 
some  one  to  come  out  and  invite  him  to  approach.  In 
due  course  this  occurred  ;  and  he  thanked  the  native  with 
great  attention  to  Indian  ceremonial  and  a  determination 
to  ingratiate  himself  so  as  to  secure  a  welcome.  His 
interlocutor  asked  him  in  return  how  he  could  serve 
him,  and  he  requested  an  interview  with  the  Chief.  This 
was  obtained ;  and  he  was  soon  led  into  the  august  pres- 
ence. The  grave  and  stately  individual  also  welcomed 
the  stranger.  The  hour  was  opportune,  the  presents 
well  chosen ;  and  the  Chief  gladdened  the  stranger's 
heart  by  suggesting  that  he  should  occupy  as  his  domi- 
cil,  a  comparatively  spacious  cactus-hut  which  had  been 
built  for  the  use  of  the  Christian  priest  on  his  rare 
visits. 

A  day  or  two  devoted  to  visiting  the  sick,  a  solemn 
pow-wow  with  the  notables  and  old  men  who  assembled 

36 


after  sundown,  and  smoked  with  him  in  a  circle  before 
the  Chief's  house,  the  exhibition  of  a  few  juggling  tricks, 
and  his  first  success  was  confirmed.  Evidently  he  was 
a  very  great  shaman,  and  the  blessing  of  his  presence 
among  them  should  be  insured  for  as  long  as  possible. 
A  feast  was  therefore  ordered ;  sheep  were  slaughtered 
and  immediately  cooked  ;  and,  according  to  the  usages  of 
the  tribe,  he  was  formally  invested  with  what,  in  some 
European  cities  would  be  called  "  the  freedom  of  the 
city,"  for  as  long  as  he  would  condescend  to  prosper 
them  by  his  desired  presence. 

Opportunities  to  give  proof  of  his  appreciation  of  the 
confidence  of  the  Pimas  were  numerous,  and  he  never 
shirked  them.  He  bestowed  his  medicines  and  atten- 
tions upon  any  sick  Indian  for  whom  his  services  were 
requested ;  and  as  he  possessed  a  good  general  knowl- 
edge of  therapeutics,  it  proved  of  the  greatest  service  in 
winning  the  personal  friendship  of  his  older  neighbors, 
while  little  presents,  such  as  a  bead,  a  brilliant  ribbon 
or  button,  or  the  exhibition  of  a  simple  juggling  trick 
assured  to  him  the  unswerving  devotion  of  the  eager 
swarm  of  half-grown  lads  and  lasses  who  foraged  about 
the  outskirts  of  the  settlement  in  pursuit  of  amusement, 
and  became  an  easy  prey  to  the  demons  of  mischief  if 
not  properly  occupied. 

They  seemed  to  divine  just  what  he  wanted,  and  to 
revel  in  the  companionship  of  one  who  had  time  and 
sense  enough  to  appreciate  the  ineffable  joys  of  a  beetle 
chase  or  reptile  hunt.  Woe  to  the  insect  that  crossed 
their  path,  or  the  plant  that  sprouted  in  sight  of  their 
keen  young  eyes.  They  uprooted  or  pinioned  every- 
thing they  encountered,  and  transported  all  with  whoops 
of  joy  to  the  astonished  Scientist,  who  expected  to  be 

37 


TESTIMONIALS   OF  THEIR   UNTRAMMELLED  ZEAL. 


buried  beneath  the  testimonials  of  their  untrammelled 
zeal. 

Seeking  to  direct  their  exuberant  forces,  he  showed 
them  how  to  handle  and  transfix  a  butterfly  read}"  for 
study.  What  was  his  surprise  the  next  afternoon  to  see 
a  score  of  boys  arriving  with  moths  and  beetles  impaled 
upon  cactus-needles  and  agave-spikes,  which  their  tor- 
mentors flourished  aloft  as  though  they  had  been  the 
dripping  scalps  of  so  many  vanquished  foes. 

A  minute  explanation,  most  carefully  illustrated,  fol- 
lowed, and  after  this  second  lesson  the  Scientist  could 


BROWN    COLUMBINES. 


rely  upon  the  intelligence  and  good-will  of  his  youthful 
volunteers.  They  brought  him  the  plants  and  insects 
carefully  gathered  and  delicately  handled.  The}-  at- 
tracted his  attention  to  the  queer  habits  of  their  prey. 
Ever  ready  to  answer  his  whistle,  they  formed  in  line,  or 
scattered  over  the  country  like  a  battalion  of  diminutive 
Cossacks  raiding  the  homes  of  the  leafy,  furry,  feathered, 

39 


and  scaly  inhabitants  of  the  mezas  and  barrancas.  But 
this  regiment  of  youngsters  at  his  beck  and  call  often 
proved  a  nuisance ;  for  the  girls  and  boys  came  and 
went  by  turns,  relieving  each  other  from  the  interesting 
task  as  inspired  by  their  pleasure  or  the  simple  needs  of 
the  household  they  belonged  to,  and  just  at  the  moment 
when  he  most  needed  an  assistant  with  a  little  dexterity 
and  experience,  only  a  raw  recruit  would  be  on  hand. 


40 


CHAPTER   II. 

There  to  his  proud  horse  Lancelot  turned  and  smoothed 
The  glossy  shoulder,  humming  to  himself. 
Half-envious  of  the  flattering  hand,  she  drew 
Nearer  and  stood.     He  looked,  and  more  amazed 
Than  if  seven  men  had  set  upon  him,  saw 
The  maiden  standing  in  the  dewy  light. 

For  silent,  tho'  he  greeted  her,  she  stood, 
Rapt  on  his  face,  as  if  it  were  a  God's. 


Her  face  was  near,  and  as  we  kiss  the  child 
That  does  the  task  assign'd,  he  kiss'd  her  face. 


ELAINE. 


THERE  was  one  child  however  whose  curiosity  was 
less  demonstrative  than  that  of  the  others,  and  who,  the 
Scientist  thought,  avoided  him ;  for  she  had  not  offered 
him  her  services,  and  was  not  among  those  who  impaled 
the  insects  in  misapplied  zeal.  Busying  herself  in  the 
care  of  her  young  brothers,  tending  the  cattle,  or  pass- 
ing him  swiftly  and  silently  on  her  errands  about  the 
village,  the  Scientist  would  have  ignored  her  existence 
had  not  her  graceful  carriage  attracted  him,  and  the 
sweetness  of  her  expression  aroused  his  interest. 

On  the  day  when  the  children  returned  with  the 
tortured  trophies  of  their  first  beetle-hunt,  she  was 
standing  near  the  cactus  hut  leaning  against  the  mes- 
quite  pole  which  supported  the  rude  porch.  She  was 

41 


occupied  stripping  ee-hooks  and  rolling  the  shreds  into 
well-secured  rings  from  which  they  could  be  easily  drawn 
for  basket-weaving.  From  beneath  her  long  lashes  she 
cast  a  glance  from  time  to  time  upon  the  stranger,  as 
he  carefully  demonstrated  to  the  excited  volunteers 
the  proper  way  to  handle  an  insect.  Her  apparent 
indifference  piqued  him ;  and  he  asked  one  of  the  boys 
who  lingered  longest,  who  she  was,  and  thus  learned 
that  her  name  was  Ampharita,  to  which  her  people  had 
added  the  cognomen  of  "  The  Silent-one;  "  for  though 


MARTYNIA,   PODS    FOR    HASKET    MAKING. 

fleet  and  diligent,  she  was  never  noisy,  and  hardly  ever 
spoke. 

The  Scientist  further  observed  that  she  belonged  to 
a  large  family  which  inhabited  a  very  tidy  group  of  huts 
near  his  own,  and  after  he  had  watched  the  preparations 
of  food  that  went  on  in  the  divers  kitchen-rings  of  the 
neighborhood  he  decided  that  the  one  where  her 
mother  and  grandmother  presided  was  by  far  the 
most  appetizing,  and  so  made  arrangements  with  the 
women  to  tend  his  domicil  and  supply  all  his  meals 
for  a  small  remuneration  in  cloth. 

Ampharita  was  often  sent  by  her  relatives  to  replace 

42 


them  in  waiting  upon  the  stranger.  Dextrous  and 
observant,  she  quickly  learned  to  wait  upon  him  better 
than  her  elders.  She  kept  the  hut  floor  swept,  and, 
learning  of  his  fondness  for  water,  she  saw  that  the 
porous  olla  of  drinking  water  was  always  full,  and  that 
the  big  jars  which  stood  about  the  hut  to  hold  the 
flower  specimens  and  serve  his  ablutions  were  regularly 
replenished. 

One  morning  the  Scientist  decided  to  remain  at  home 
to  assort  and  classify  his  rapidly  increasing  collection. 
After  Ampharita  had  brought  him  his  breakfast  and 
cleared  up  the  hut,  she  disappeared,  and  as  he  sat 
at  work  in  the  porch  all  day  long  he  heard  her  people 
calling  for  her  in  vain.  His  curiosity  had  become 
aroused,  when  at  mid-day  the  grandmother  brought  his 
food.  The  ollas  stood  empty,  and  no  one  fetched  him 
more  water,  the  sun  was  setting,  and  still  the  child  was 
absent.  The  hut  was  littered  with  scientific  parapher- 
nalia, and  bits  of  dried  plants  floated  about  everywhere ; 
his  throat  was  parched,  and  he  began  to  realize  that  this 
Silent-one  had  become  an  element  in  his  well-being. 

o 

Then  he  heard  her  name  repeated  in  various  keys  and 
with  an  unmistakable  accent  of  surprise. 

Looking  up,  he  saw  her  coming  down  the  irregular 
street  between  the  huts,  her  smiling  face  shaded  by  the 
fresh  grasses  which  covered  the  kee-ho.  The  women 
seated  at  work  before  their  huts  called  to  her,  and 
sought  to  detain  her ;  but  she  advanced  steadily  to 
where  the  Scientist  stood. 

Slipping  the  straw  band  from  her  forehead,  she  slid 
the  heavy  basket  from  her  back  and  leaned  it  against 
the  cactus  wattles,  and,  lifting  off  the  leafy  covering,  she 
raised  a  few  calla  leaves  and  exposed  to  view  a  collec- 

43 


HE  SAW   HER   COMING   DOWN   THE   IRREGULAR   STREET. 


44 


tion  of  flowering  mountain  plants,  fresh  as  when  she 
had  culled  them  hours  before  in  their  native  barranca. 
One  by  one,  the  Scientist  lifted  out  the  flowering  speci- 
mens, —  not  a  blossom  had  been  crushed  or  mutilated, 
and  before  he  had  emptied  the  hod  he  realized  that  the 
intelligent  assistance  of  the  silent  girl  would  be  worth 
more  to  him  in  collecting  than  that  of  any  of  tlu  other 
children. 

Her  mother  called,  and  she  sped  away  before  he  had 
a  chance  to  thank  her ;  but  on  entering  the  hut  he 
noticed  that  she  had  paused  long  enough  to  pick  up 
an  olla.  She  returned  presently  with  it  freshly  filled, 
brushed  up  the  refuse,  set  aside  the  instruments,  and 
fetched  his  supper.  When  she  had  placed  this  before 
him,  she  was  about  to  depart,  but  he  caught  hold  of  a 
fold  of  her  drapery. 

"  Ampharita,  wild  shy  bird  that  you  are,  will  you  not 
give  me  a  chance  to  thank  you,  and  tell  you  how 
pleased  I  am?  You  have  worked  for  me  to-day,  not 
only  with  will,  but  with  intelligence.  You  are  a  brave 
girl,  and  I  shall  tell  your  mother  how  clever  and  helpful 
you  are." 

The  girl  said  nothing,  and  gently  detached  his  fingers 
from  her  drapery ;  but  in  the  gloaming  an  exquisite  smile 
lit  up  her  dusky  countenance. 

Its  charm  lingered  while  she  finished  her  work ;  and 
as  he  watched  her  closely  it  dawned  upon  him  that 
hers  was  the  sweetest  face  he  had  seen  since  leaving 
El  Paso. 

She  was  not  robust  enough  to  carry  off  the  palm 
in  the  opinion  of  her  dusky  countrymen,  but  her  every 
movement  was  replete  with  archaic  grace.  Her  thick 
hair,  though  coarse,  was  long  and  glossy  as  a  gypsy's ; 

45 


and  as  he  had  spoken  to  her  and  looked  into  her  eyes, 
they  had  pleaded  eloquently  for  confidence  and  kind 
treatment.  Her  limbs  were  slight  as  those  of  the  other 
children  of  her  race,  but  smoother  and  more  shapely. 
The  indigo-colored  blanket  which  formed  her  sole 
garment  was  edged  with  a  brilliant  stripe,  and  caught 
together  over  one  shoulder  by  a  rude  ornament.  A 
parti-colored  girdle  elaborated  with  fantastic  designs 
was  wound  about  her  waist,  confining  the  blanket  so 
that  it  fell  in  heavy  symmetrical  folds  to  the  knee, 
modestly  draping  her  lower  limbs,  while  her  neck  and 
arms  and  budding  bosom  rose  out  of  the  dark  woollen 
stuff,  as  naturally  as  does  the  calyx  above  the  unfolded 
petals  of  a  flower. 

Indeed,  as  the  Scientist  came  to  be  more  with  her,  he 
observed  that  Ampharita  had  something  of  the  native 
flora  about  her  whole  person,  and  resembled  an  embodi- 
ment of  all  the  graces  of  plant-life.  Her  dusky  skin  had 
borrowed  its  color  from  the  rich  and  fertile  earth  and 
was  as  satiny  as  the  bark  of  the  famed  mulato-tree. 
In  walking  she  swayed  as  do  its  branches  in  the  breeze,, 
or  danced  along  as  gracefully  as  do  the  brown  colum- 
bines upon  their  slender  stalks,  or  the  big  golden 
blossoms  of  the  bottle  yuccas,  sending  out  waves  of 
perfume  in  answer  to  the  touch  of  the  current  of  air  that 
draws  through  the  barrancas,  seeking  to  carry  them  with 
it  as  an  offering  to  the  naiads  of  the  stream. 

When  Ampharita  ran,  her  movements  were  those  of 
a  tempest-racked  field  of  maize,  or  a  grassy  meza  after 
the  rainy  season, —  gracefully  undulating,  even  in  their 
wildest  tossings.  Nor  did  she  prove,  on  closer  acquain- 
tance, much  more  talkative  than  a  plant.  She  was  obe- 
dient, sympathetic,  tireless ;  but  she  would  not  talk,. 

46 


although,  when  necessary,  she  delivered  a  message  with 
great  exactness,  the  few  words,  well-chosen,  well-pro- 
nounced, being  uttered  in  a  voice  so  soft  and  modu- 
lated that  it  resembled  the  rustle  of  the  mesquite  leaves, 
when  a  flight  of  vagrant  titmice  alight  upon  a  bough 
that  sways  back  and  forth,  and  murmurs  a  protestation 
against  the  inquisitive  visitants.  Ampharita's  tacitur- 
nity, however,  bore  no  trace  of  moroseness.  Her  smile 
was  luminous,  her  expression  always  cheerful. 

Egotism  had  no  part  in  her  composition.  She  was 
keenly  sensitive  to  the  moods  of  others,  and  her  emo- 
tions responded  to  her  sympathies  as  naturally  as  the 
notes  of  an  yEolian  harp  answer  Nature's  breath ;  if  her 
tears  were  as  ready  as  her  smiles,  they  were  without  bitter- 
ness, and  hung  upon  her  long  lashes,  or  glistened  upon 
her  dark  cheek,  with  the  enchanting  grace  of  the  dew- 
drops  which  the  Scientist  surprised  upon  the  lustrous 
blossoms  of  the  deep  barrancas. 

He  admired  these  luxurious  growths  in  her  company, 
for  Ampharita  soon  became  his  invaluable  assistant,  and 
he  made  arrangements  with  her  parents  to  have  her  at 
his  disposal,  not  only  as  care-taker,  but  as  guide,  hav- 
ing found  that  she  knew  more  of  the  topography  of  the 
neighborhood,  its  flowers,  fauna,  and  insect  life,  than 
any  one  else  in  the  settlement. 

Of  course,  her  knowledge  was  only  that  of  a  keen 
observer  and  lover  of  Nature,  but  it  was  none  the  less 
accurate ;  for  her  fondness  for  solitude  had  led  her  away 
from  her  rough  companions  to  seek  playmates  among 
Nature's  gentler  creatures.  Whether  as  guide,  leading 
him  on  arduous  expeditions  up  the  mountain  sides,  or 
when  seeking  for  unknown  growths  on  the  mezas,  or  in 
the  barrancas,  he  found  her  never  at  fault.  On  the  days 

47 


of  analytical  study,  when  he  remained  within  the  hut  to 
classify  the  unknown  plants  and  insects  which  they  had 
brought  back  to  the  pueblo,  her  deft  fingers  rendered 
him  a  thousand  services.  Their  touch  was  as  that  of  a 
fairy.  They  left  the  pollen  intact  upon  the  stamen,  the 
velvet  on  the  most  delicate  butterfly's  wing. 
Nature  herself  seemed  to  have  taught  Am- 
pharita  the  quality  of  her  creations.  She 
quickly  learned  to  recognize  the  differ- 
ences and  families  of  plants  and  insects, 
and  assort  them  with  ease,  materially  ex- 
pediting the  work  of  classification.  It 
required  but  a  sign  for  her  to  grasp  his 
thoughts  and  fetch  what  he  wanted ;  a 
hint,  and  she  unmounted  and  stowed  away 
the  instruments,  and  led  him  to  the  home 
of  a  rare  flower,  the  favorite  haunt 
of  a  bird  or  insect,  the  lair  of  shy 
beasts  and  stranger  reptiles. 

By  means  of  a  trick  of  her  own, 
she  allured  the  silly  moths  and 
lumbering  beetles  which  fluttered  about  her,  or  settled 
upon  her  outstretched  palm  as  fearlessly  as  if  the  girl 
had  been  a  stalk  of  honeyed  cactus  blossoms.  Am- 
pharita  fondled  them,  and  let  them  go  again,  save 
when  the  Scientist  claimed  them  as  specimens ;  and 
then  she  turned  away,  distressed,  and  hid  her  face  as 
he  dropped  them  into  the  poisoned,  wide-mouthed  jar, 
and  they  struggled  helplessly  for  pure  air. 

When  Ampharita  noticed  that  it  pleased  the  Scientist, 
she  decorated  his  hut  with  fresh  and  varied  flowers. 
When  he  told  her  about  a  new  way  of  preparing  some 
edible  plant,  she  cooked  it  again  and  again,  until  he 

48    ' 


NATURE'S  FINS. 


pronounced  its  preparation  a  success.  Mindful  of  his 
every  wish,  she  washed  his  linen,  provided  him  with 
soap-root,  and  moved  the  olla  of  drinking  water  until 
she  found  the  place  where  the  draught  would  keep  it 
coolest.  She  brushed  away  the  flies,  and  hung  up  mats 
and  aromatic  boughs  in  his  porch,  that  he  might  study 
and  rest  undisturbed  by  the  sun  or  insects. 

"  Is  she  a  culprit  fay,  or  a  peri  banished  to  expiate  in 
these  squalid  surroundings  a  neglected  duty?  "  he  mused 
one  evening,  as  he  smoked  in  the  moonlight.  "  She  is 
cleaner,  tidier,  more  intelligent  than  any  one  I  thought 
it  possible  to  meet  with  in  these  wilds.  A  little  instruc- 
tion and  a  few  more  clothes  would  make  her  an  excel- 
lent servant.  If  taught  to  read  and  properly  trained, 
she  would  be  of  immense  use  in  a  laboratory  of  our 
museum.  What  luck  to  have  found  so  useful  a  creature 
ready  to  serve  me,"  he  thought,  and  decided  to  give  the 
boys  each  a  little  present,  and  get  rid  of  their  officious 
services.  He  knew  they  would  still  bring  him  what 
they  found,  in  the  hope  of  gain,  but  he  had  made  up 
his  mind  that  the  only  way  to  work  systematically  was 
to  make  use  of  but  one  and  ever  the  same  assistant,  and 
Ampharita  seemed  created  to  serve  his  purpose. 

As  time  went  on  he  grew  fond  of  his  silent  compan- 
ion. He  looked  upon  her  as  an  ingenious  toy,  a  win- 
some child,  full  of  exquisite  possibilities  and  delicious 
surprises.  By  nature  he  was  gregarious,  a  born  leader 
and  expounder.  He  required  some  one  to  talk  to,  and 
found  her  an  appreciative  and  sympathetic  pupil,  with  a 
phenomenal  memory  which  often  put  him  to  the  blush. 

When  there  was  nothing  to  teach,  he  beguiled  many 
a  homesick  hour  while  resting  from  his  arduous  studies, 
or  on  a  long  and  tedious  walk,  by  describing  to  her 
4  49 


his  birthplace  across  the  bitter  blue  water  beyond  the 
warm  yellow  waters,  as  the  Pimas  called  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  which  was  familiar  to  them  through  the  tales 
of  the  medicine  men  and  hikori  hunters.  He  discoursed 
tor  hours  about  the  teeming  life  in  the  cities  of  the  civil- 
ized world  which  lay  far  beyond  the  mezas  and  the 
forests  to  the  north  and  south,  and  of  the  Old  World 
where  the  sun  rose  at  midnight,  and  aroused  the  rich 
and  poor  to  work  or  pleasure  or  pain  in  the  great  father- 
land of  the  white  man.  He  told  her  about  the  schooling 
of  the  European  children,  and  the  amusements  that  at- 
tract educated  men  and  women.  He  sometimes  took  as 
his  theme  music  as  it  is  known  to  the  cultured,  and 
Ampharita,  enthralled  hearkened  to  his  strong  tenor 
voice  as  he  sang  for  her  a  stirring  patriotic  air,  or  re- 
peated the  catches  of  some  popular  opera. 

He  described  to  her  the  museums,  with  their  great 
crystal  walls,  behind  which  are  stored  strange  stones, 
and  thousands  upon  thousands  of  dried  birds,  beasts,  and 
insects,  from  every  region  under  the  sun.  But  Ampha- 
rita found  far  more  wonderful  the  accounts  he  gave  of 
the  customs  and  numberless  accessories  of  every  day 
civilized  life,  —  the  furniture,  cooking  utensils,  toilet 
articles,  and  varied  wardrobes,  hats,  parasols,  and  or- 
naments of  the  white  women,  the  artificial  food  for 
babies,  the  wonderful  image  toys  and  picture-books  of 
the  children. 

She  would  ask  him  over  and  over  again  about  the 
hospitals.  The  idea  of  the  darkness,  the  whiteness,  the 
order,  the  obliteration  of  impurity,  the  painless  healing 
of  wounds,  awed  and  fascinated  her.  The  description  of 
the  churches  was  very  grand,  but  left  her  somewhat  cold, 
for  she  did  not  like  the  idea  of  the  roof,  the  emblazoned 

50 


walls  and  stained  glass  windows,  which  she  said  must 
shut  out  the  breath  of  God. 

A  remark,  a  few  idle  words  of  his,  would  give  her  in- 
exhaustible food  for  meditation,  and  she  would  dream 
all  day,  trying  to  grasp  the  stupendous  suggestion  con- 
tained in  such  an  assertion  as :  "  We  have  especial 
homes  for  poor  children  who  have  lost  their  parents. 
Many  of  them,  wider  and  higher  than  this  barranca,  and 
filled  with  more  babies  than  there  are  men,  women,  and 
children  in  your  whole  tribe." 

Fond  as  he  was  of  talking,  the  Scientist  would  often 
grow  tired  long  before  Ampharita  was  satisfied.  From 
time  to  time  she  uttered  an  ejaculation  to  encourage 
him  if  she  found  his  tongue  lagged.  If  he  paused  for 
breath,  she  pleaded  with  sweet  insistence  to  hear  more, 
and  pressed  him  for  fresh  descriptions  of  home  life ; 
for  to  her  all  the  commonplace  things  were  as  the 
tales  of  adventures  among  fairies,  hobgoblins,  talking- 
birds,  enchanted  beasts,  and  aborigines  are  to  white 
children. 

The  more  Ampharita  heard  about  the  world  as  white 
women  know  it,  the  more  her  wonder  grew,  and  at  last 
it  gave  birth  to  an  intense  yearning  actually  to  behold 
some  of  the  marvels  with  which  she  had  become  familiar 
by  hearsay. 

She  seized  the  opportunity  to  mention  her  desire  one 
day,  as  they  rested  beneath  a  beetling  sandstone  crag  at 
the  entrance  to  an  especially  fertile  barranca.  The 
Scientist  sat  opposite  toying  with  a  flower,  and  the  calm 
beauty  of  the  secluded  dell  gave  the  girl  strength  and 
courage  to  express  her  thoughts. 

"  My  master,"  she  said,  but  the  water  rushed  singing 
and  laughing  so  noisily  down  the  defile  below  them  that 

51 


the  man  did  not  hear  her  soft  voice.  She  looked  about 
her  as  though  for  counsel  from  dumb  Nature. 

The  walls  that  rose  on  every  side  were  hung  with 
rank,  spray-spangled  verdure ;  for,  as  the  descent  was 
complicated  and  perilous,  the  larger  animals  shunned  it, 
and  the  Indian  hunters  but  seldom  entered  it,  so  that  it 
was  unmarred  by  the  hand  of  man.  For  a  scientist  and 
nature  lover,  it  was,  therefore,  a  paradise,  with  virgin 
growth  untorn  and  untrampled,  its  fair  beauty  veiled  by 
soft  mists  which  caused  the  vegetable  and  insect  life  to 
expand  in  wild  luxuriance,  while  the  intoxicating  wealth 
of  perfume  and  color  attracted  every  variety  of  epi- 
curean trogon  and  dainty  bird  which  made  their  home 
beneath  its  sun-powdered  foliage. 

The  Scientist  had  fallen  into  a  meditative  mood,  and 
was  sitting  oblivious  of  his  surroundings,  as  he  pictured 
to  himself  his  white-haired  mother  and  dignified  sisters 
beneath  the  spreading  lime-trees  on  the  terrace  of  the 
ancestral  home. 

"My  master,"  said  Ampharita  again,  a  little  louder; 
but  she  received  no  answer. 

She  touched  him  with  a  soft  caressing  movement, 
full  of  shy  confidence,  the  better  to  attract  his  attention. 

"  My  master,"  she  repeated,  as  he  looked  up  sur- 
prised, "  does  the  water  sing  so  loud  to-day  that  you 
cannot  hear  my  voice?  I  spoke  twice  !  Will  you  prom- 
ise me  something,  dear  master,"  she  pleaded,  as  he 
looked  at  her  more  kindly ;  "  won't  you  please  take  me 
across  the  warm,  yellow  waters,  and  the  big  blue  ones, 
to  the  other  end  of  the  world,  where  the  sun  shines  while 
we  sleep,  and  show  me  the  wonders  of  the  white  man's 
birthplace?  " 

"Why  not?"  said  the  young  man,  smiling. at  her 

52 


quaint  choice  of  words.  "  But  do  you  really  want  to  go 
so  far  from  the  pueblo,  little  one?  Are  you  not  afraid 
of  the  unknown?" 

"  You  were  unknown  a  few  moons  ago,"  she  answered. 

He  smiled  and  said  nothing  to  this. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  do  so  want  to  go,"  she  continued,  folding 
her  hands  prayerfully.  "  Take  me,  oh,  take  me  with  you, 
my  master !  I  must  see  it  all  myself;  when  I  have 
understood  it,  I  will  come  back  to  teach  my  people  the 
uses  of  the  treasures  God  has  placed  within  their  reach, 
and  the  working  of  the  wonders  you  seem  to  think  so 
natural,  —  even  as  you  have  shown  them  some  things." 

"  You  would  be  a  little  Moses  to  the  Pimas,"  laughed 
the  man,  as  he  noticed  the  dreamy  light  in  her  eyes. 
"  You  would  lead  your  people  out  of  the  Egyptian 
darkness,  eh?" 

Ampharita  looked  puzzled,  and,  seeing  his  smile  had 
taken  on  a  certain  roguishness,  she  blushed  with  the  first 
consciousness  that  her  ignorance  might  make  her  appear 
ridiculous,  and  two  tears  gathered  upon  her  long  lashes. 

"  You  have  misunderstood  me.  Never  mind,  little 
wild  one,"  said  the  young  man,  seeking  to  reassure  her, 
"  when  you  have  been  six  months  in  the  white  man's 
land  all  will  be  clear  to  you." 

"  Then  you  promise  !  "  she  exclaimed,  her  momentary 
embarrassment  forgotten  in  joyful  anticipation  of  seeing 
her  most  cherished  dream  realized. 

"  Yes,  I  promise,"  he  repeated,  soothingly,  as  he  arose, 
and,  pointing  to  the  kce-ho,  continued  on  his  way,  while 
Ampharita,  kneeling,  slipped  the  strap  about  her  head, 
and  followed  him  down  to  the  water's  edge. 

In  half  an  hour  a  new  variety  of  beetle  had  caused 
the  Scientist  to  forget  his  promise.  Not  so  the  Indian 

53 


girl.  To  her  his  words  had  opened  the  gates  of  a  para- 
dise of  speculation  where  she  roamed  at  will.  She 
dreamed  the  nights  away  amid  the  entrancing  scenes  he 
described  in  answer  to  her  questions. 

She  had  evolved  a  system  of  her  own  in  dealing  with 
her  master,  and  by  pertinent,  well-ordered  questions 
learned  much  of  the  land  of  promise.  Her  imagination 
clothed  what  she  had  heard  in  trappings  of  her  own 
devising,  and  her  heart  lived  in  the  fantastically  gor- 
geous future  she  had  evolved. 


A   FAMILY    FETICH. 

For  hours  she  sat  motionless  in  the  shadow  of  the 
kitchen-ring  or  the  white  man's  porch  awaiting  his 
orders ;  but  the  patience  which  he  extolled  was  no 
patience,  for  the  time  flew  by  in  the  sweetest  dream-life. 
Entranced  by  the  prospect  of  her  future,  her  ears  some- 
times remained  closed  even  to  his  voice,  and,  thinking 
that  she  had  succumbed  to  the  heat  or  fatigue,  he  smil- 
ingly performed  the  errand  himself. 

Meanwhile  the  seasons  did  not  lag,  and  at  last  a  day 

54 


came  on  which  the  Scientist  decided  that  he  had  studied 
all  the  specialties  of  the  neighborhood,  and  it  was 
time  to  move  forward  in  pursuit  of  a  fresh  field  for 
exploration. 

He  had  developed  a  certain  amount  of  kindly  affec- 
tion for  the  whole  hospitable  tribe,  whose  members  had 
vied  with  each  other  in  seeking  to  make  his  stay  among 
them  pleasant,  and  he  felt  regret  that  the  time  was  ap- 
proaching when  he  should  bid  them  good-by.  At  the 
thought  of  Ampharita  he  grew  very  grave,  and  for  the 
first  time  felt  that  he  should  not  have  shown  so  marked 
a  partiality  for  her  society,  nor  so  accustomed  himself  to 
her  unobtrusive  presence  and  delicate  attentions. 

It  would  take  some  time  to  pack  his  belongings  and 
prepare  for  his  departure,  and,  as  he  was  averse  to  sad 
faces,  he  decided  not  to  announce  his  decision  until 
everything  was  ready  for  the  start. 

His  ponies,  thanks  to  the  care  of  Ampharita,  were  in 
excellent  condition,  so  there  was  no  excuse  for  delay, 
and  he  began  to  unmount  and  clean  his  instruments. 
Ampharita  had  often  helped  him  do  this  as  well  as  to  as- 
sort his  notes  and  pack  away  his  specimens,  so  she  found 
nothing  unusual  in  his  conduct.  During  one  of  her 
spells  of  dreaminess  he  corded  up  the  boxes  and  dis- 
posed everything  in  readiness  for  his  departure,  and 
managed  matters  in  such  a  way  that  she  did  not  again 
enter  the  cactus  hut. 

At  dawn  the  following  morning,  while  the  maiden  was 
busy  with  her  mother  at  the  cooking-ring,  he  sallied 
forth  to  visit  the  Chief,  and  express  to  him  his  thanks 
for  the  unvarying  kindness  he  had  met  with  during  his 
sojourn  in  the  midst  of  the  tribe.  He  made  a  present  of 
a  pistol  to  him  in  token  of  gratitude,  and  received  in  re- 

55 


turn  a  valuable  personal  charm  consisting  of  a  basket 
containing  rags  and  feathers  of  great  antiquity,  which 
the  Chief  was  persuaded  would  protect  him  against  every 
danger. 

He  was  going  to  take  his  departure,  but  to  have  said 
so  would  have  been  a  mortal  offence.  The  Scientist 
therefore  explained  to  his  host,  with  the  ceremoniousness 
customary  among  the  Indians,  that  he  felt  that  it  was 
time  for  him  to  "  continue  his  walk." 

Kis  host  bowed  gravely,  and  said,  "  Continue  your 
walk,"  which  among  the  Pimas  takes  the  place  of  the 
old  scriptural  phrase,  "  Go  in  peace."  Then  the  Chief 
arose,  and  re-entering  his  adobe  house,  shut  the  door 
of  saccaton  grass,  and  the  Scientist  realized  that  the 
audience  was  over. 

Later,  as  he  walked  about  the  village,  with  a  parting 
word  and  gift  for  all  who  had  assisted  him,  he  observed  that 
the  Chief  came  out  beneath  the  front  shed,  constructed 
out  of  mesquite  poles,  cactus  beams,  and  heaped-up 
grass,  which  formed  his  porch,  and  seated  himself  there 
to  watch  the  proceedings,  at  which  the  other  members  of 
the  tribe  followed  his  example,  while  the  small  boys  ran 
about  after  stray  animals,  and  whooped  and  hallooed  as 
white  boys  are  wont  to  do  when  excited.  He  ap- 
proached the  cooking-ring,  and  ate  a  hasty  meal.  Then, 
sending  off  Ampharita  and  her  father  to  fetch  the  ponies, 
he  paid  her  mother,  and  bade  the  rest  of  the  family  good- 
by.  Even  the  small  boys  smiled  upon  and  thanked 
him  for  the  pretty  gew-gaws  that  he  gave  them  to  re- 
member him  by,  and  he  had  a  kind  word  of  leave-taking 
for  each,  which  filled  up  the  time  until  Ampharita  and 
her  father  led  the  saddled  ponies  into  the  open  space 
in  the  centre  of  the  pueblo. 

56 


The  sun  had  risen  high  above  the  horizon.  He  vis- 
ited the  cactus  hut  for  the  last  time  to  see  that  nothing 
had  been  forgotten.  Ampharita  held  the  bridle  of  his 
riding  pony,  while  her  father  tightened  the  cords  that 
bound  the  sack  and  load  upon  the  pack-horse.  The 
Scientist  took  the  reins  out  of  the  girl's  passive  hand, 
and  looked  once  more  upon  the  band  of  gaping  urchins 
and  the  wide,  ceremonious  circle  of  the  great  men  and 


A   GORRITA   WEAVER   AND  A   KEE-HO   CARRIER. 

their  families  seated  before  their  thresholds.  He  vaulted 
into  the  saddle ;  the  pony  started,  eager  to  be  off,  but 
the  white  man  quieted  him. 

"  Ampharita,"  said  the;  Scientist,  in  a  low,  tender  voice, 
"  it  is  time  to  leave,  the  sun  is  very  high." 

The  girl  approached  quite  near  to  him,  and  placed 
her  right  hand  upon  the  high  back  of  the  Mexican  sad- 
dle. With  one  bound  she  could  mount  the  horse  behind 
him ;  but  she  awaited  his  invitation. 

57 


Dropping  the  reins  upon  the  animal's  neck,  the  Sci- 
entist fumbled  at  his  shirt  front.  The  pony  turned  its 
head  and  looked  at  the  young  girl  inquiringly,  and 
rubbed  its  nose  in  the  palm  of  her  hand. 

She  did  not  notice  the  animal ;  she  had  eyes  for  the 
white  man  alone.  At  last  the  Scientist  found  what  he 
wanted,  and  drew  forth  a  golden  chain  to  which  hung  a 
cross  of  the  same  metal.  He  gazed  at  it  a  minute,  and 
performed  the  sign  of  the  cross  ere  he  kissed  it  rever- 
ently, took  it  from  about  his  neck,  and  gathered  it  into 
his  hand,  where  he  held  it  while  he  spoke  slowly  to  the 
girl. 

"  Ampharita,"  he  said,  "  all  the  others  have  had  pres- 
ents ;  but  you,  my  brave,  clever  assistant,  deserve  a 
token  more  lovely  than  anything  I  had  in  my  boxes. 
I  thought  and  thought,  until  the  memory  of  how  my 
mother  gave  me  this  little  cross  when  I  was  an  inno- 
cent child,  to  guard  me  from  all  ill,  came  to  me,  and  I 
said  to  myself  I  would  not  part  from  it  for  any  one  but 
Ampharita ;  but  she  must  be  protected,  for  she  is  young 
and  tender,  while  I  am  strong  and  can  care  for  myself. 
Here  it  is,  child,  hold  it  dearer  than  life  for  my  sake.  I 
may  come  to  ask  about  it  some  day,  and  you  must  then 
show  it  to  me ;  meanwhile  I  shall  think  of  you  often,  and 
my  heart  will  long  for  you,  the  sweetest  blossom  of  the 
Pimas." 

He  leaned  forward  and  clasped  the  chain  about  the 
girl's  neck,  while  she  stood  like  a  statue,  her  whole  soul 
in  her  eyes. 

With  the  last  tender  words,  which  he  had  meant  as 
those  of  parting,  he  had  uttered  the  sentence  used  by  the 
Pimas  as  a  declaration  of  love  and  offer  of  marriage. 
He  had  spoken  low,  and  none  but  the  girl  and  her  father 

58 


had  heard  what  he  said  ;  but  the  Indian  watched  curi- 
ously to  see  what  would  follow.  Surely  Ampharita 
would  not  accept  the  stranger ;  but  before  her  lips  parted 
the  Scientist  did  a  very  natural  thing.  He  stooped  and 
kissed  the  girl  on  either  dusky  cheek,  and  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Indian  father  and  those  of  the  whole  onlooking  vil- 
lage this  was  a  sign  of  appropriation,  —  for  kisses  are 
reserved  for  their  offspring  and  their  wives  by  the  men 
of  the  Sierra  Madre. 

The  boys  nudged  each  other.  There  was  a  percepti- 
ble rustle  in  the  shade  of  the  porches,  audible  from  end 
to  end  of  the  pueblo. 


STILL    AMPHARITA    DID    NOT    MOVE. 


Still  Ampharita  did  not  move.  The  Scientist  placed 
his  hand  beneath  her  chin,  and  looked  once  again  into 
the  deep,  luminous  eyes ;  then,  with  a  push,  which  was 
rendered  brusque  by  the  sudden  upflaring  of  an  emotion 
he  desired  to  hide,  he  pulled  his  hat  down  over  his  eyes, 

59 


and,  giving  spur  to  his  pony,  galloped  rapidly  out  of  the 
village  with  the  pack-horse  following  after. 

From  beneath  the  hurrying  hoofs  of  the  fresh  steeds  a 
cloud  of  rosy  dust  was  thrown  high  into  the  air,  veiling 
the  departing  traveller,  so  that  when  he  turned  in  his 
saddle  he  could  see  nothing  of  the  pueblo. 

Long  after  his  powerful  form  had  disappeared  from 
her  mortal  eyes,  however,  Ampharita  stood  immovable, 
following  him  in  spirit ;  while  the  Indians  beneath  their 
porches  watched  the  eddies  of  dust  which,  blown  up- 
wards by  the  current  of  air,  twirled  high  against  the  sky, 
and  indicated  his  position,  as  did  the  cloud  which  fol- 
lowed the  Israelites  across  the  desert. 


PERSONAL   FETICH. 


60 


CHAPTER   III. 

"  So  ye  will  grace  me,"  answered  Lancelot, 
Smiling  a  moment,  "  with  your  fellowship 
O'er  these  waste  downs  whereon  I  lost  myself, 
Then  were  I  glad  of  you  as  guide  and  friend." 

ELAINE. 

THE  projected  journey  of  the  Scientist  was  to  be  a 
long  one,  and  as  he  wished  to  keep  up  his  ponies' 
strength,  he  decided  to  pass  the  first  night  at  a  solitary 
Mexican  ranch  a  good  distance  to  the  east  of  the  Pima 
pueblo,  where  he  learned  that  excellent  accommodation 
could  be  procured  for  man  and  beast. 

The  ponies  jogged  along  lazily  enough  after  the  sun 
had  somewhat  wilted  their  ardor ;  and  he  had  nothing  to 
do  but  keep  to  the  beaten  track  and  let  the  animals  suit 
themselves  with  regard  to  gait..  He  feft  unpleasantly 
sensitive  to  the  discomforts  of  the  tropical  heat.  The 
blazing  sun,  the  burning  sands,  the  insects,  and  the 
choking  dust  irritated  him  intensely.  His  tongue  was 
parched,  and  his  eyes  smarted.  He  found  that  his 
pony's  gait  had  roughened  since  his  last  ride.  Little 
things  he  did  not  usually  notice  teased  him  beyond  en- 
durance, and  he  slapped  and  swore  himself  into  a  fever 
over  the  horse-flies  which  settled  upon  his  neck  and 
hands. 

61 


What  really  irritated  him  was  the  tearless  silence  of 
Ampharita. 

"  How  stolid  are  the  best  of  these  Indians,"  he  mused. 
"  They  appear  gentle,  hospitable,  intelligent,  friendly,  — 
aye,  devoted.  Here  I  have  been  worrying  for  days  in 
advance  about  the  effect  of  my  departure  upon  the  In- 
dian girl.  Why,  I  actually  lost  my  self-control  at  the 
critical  moment,  while  she,  who  had  seemed  to  live  and 
breathe  in  subservience  to  my  every  whim,  and  who 
shed  tears  over  the  immolation  of  a  roach  or  scorpion, 
looked  on  dry-eyed,  and  her  emotionless 
features  remained  impassive  while  I 
poured  all  those  tender  parting  words 
into  her  ears,  and  presented  to  her  that 
THREE  VARIE-  cross  which  had  been  my  dearest  treas- 
TIES  OF  OLLA  ure  sjnce  childhood.  I  would  have  picked 
Ampharita  out  of  a  thousand  as  an  ex- 
ample of  a  girl  with  too  much  sensibility ;  but  to-day 
she  gave  ocular  demonstration  to  the  contrary.  No 
wonder  she  said  there  was  no  word  for  what  we  call 
'  love  '  among  the  Indians ;  they  do  not  know  the  emo- 
tion. Bah  !  It  is  better  so,  and  what  a  fool  I  have  been 
to  think  twice  of  this  parting.  Women  are  even  worse 
than  men :  playthings  or  blue-stockings,  they  are  at 
best  passionless  prolific  organisms,  with  fine  clothes  and 
more  or  less  soft  voices  and  alluring  manners.  Science 
has  profited  by  Ampharita's  services,  and  she  made  me 
as  comfortable  as  she  knew  how  while  I  lived  among 
her  people.  I  should  give  her  due  credit  for  that ;  and 
it  was  only  proper  that  I  should  pay  her  well  for  it.  But 
I  wish  I  had  thought  of  something  else;  she  is  unworthy 
of  my  mother's  cross.  I  wonder  what  the  dear  old  mother 
will  say  when  I  return  home  and  cannot  show  her  the 

62 


trinket.  I  should  never  have  given  it  away.  Ah,  well, 
I  cannot  get  it  back  now;  but  I  feel  we  are  more  than 
quits,  and  I  will  think  no  more  of  the  soft-voiced  Indian 
girl." 

Still  over  and  over  like  the  sharp  clatter  of  an  inter- 
fering horse-hoof,  or  the  persistent  attention  of  the 
gad-flies,  memories  of  Ampharita  intruded  themselves 
instead  of  the  subjects  he  had  planned  to  think  out,  and 
compelled  him  to  argue,  over  and  over,  against  his  disap- 
pointment, and  invent  strange  and  improbable  solutions 
which  he  no  sooner  discovered  than  rejected,  until,  chafed 
and  fretted  in  body  and  spirit,  he  found  the  long,  hot 
ride  longer  and  hotter  than  any  he  had  ever  undertaken. 

At  sunset,  weary  and  demoralized,  he  arrived  in  sight 
of  his  temporary  destination;  and  he  hailed  its  shabby 
adobe  walls  as  an  agreeable  termination  to  his  exhaust- 
ing speculations  and  unpleasant  ride. 

The  gates  of  the  patio  seemed  stretched  wide  on  pur- 
pose to  welcome  him  ;  but  yet  he  entered  and  dismounted 
without  any  alacrity,  and  he  bespoke  a  night's  lodging 
in  almost  surly  accents.  He  did  not  know  the  people, 
nor  care  what  they  thought  of  him.  It  was  no  use 
taking  trouble  to  be  pleasant  with  Indians  or  Mexi- 
cans ;  they  were  all  alike  treacherous  and  heartless.  He 
was  short  and  sharp  to  the  paeons  in  giving  the  neces- 
sary directions  about  the  disposal  of  his  ponies  and 
impediments. 

When  the  Ranchero's  wife  asked  what  he  would  have 
for  supper,  he  growled,  "  Whatever  there  is  ;  "  and  when, 
with  many  compliments,  she  served  up  the  elaborate 
meal  she  had  prepared  for  him  with  great  pains,  he  did 
not  even  thank  her,  but  began  to  eat  in  stolid  silence. 

"  Faugh  !  "  he  thought,  with  a  grimace,  "  how  bad 

63 


this  food  is,  —  soaked  in  rancid  grease  and  stiffened  into 
a  paste  with  red  pepper.  The  Pimas  prepared  their 
dishes  of  maize  and  game  with  epicurean  discrimination 
as  compared  with  these  messings  of  this  half-bred  crea- 
ture. The  touch  of  civilization  spoils  the  savage ;  and 
this  woman  is  not  worthy  to  hold  the  basket  for  an  In- 
dian to  roll  her  dough  in.  How  hot  and  close  these 
mud  walls  make  the  place  !  They  exclude  the  evening 
breezes  while  encasing  every  unimaginable  scent  In 
this  God-forsaken  land,  so  far  from  the  mountains,  I 
suppose  it  never  rains,  and  there  is  no  hope  of  a  shower 
to  cool  and  purify  the  air.  I  am  burning  up,  —  I  have 
not  been  so  hot  in  months,  —  I  must  have  fever ! 
Surely  with  my  experience  I  should  be  hardened  to 
every  discomfort,  and  yet  to-night  my  head  feels  as 
though  the  sun  had  fried  my  brain,  as  that  ill-omened 
jail-bird  Jim  prophesied  at  the  start.  Good  God  !  I  am 
going  to  have  an  illness  !  Why  did  n't  it  come  on  while 
I  was  in  the  salubrious  air  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  with  the 
whole  tribe  of  those  good-natured  Pimas  to  run  errands 
for  me.  To  lie  down  in  one  of  these  gloomy  dungeon- 
like  rooms  for  a  week  would  drive  me  mad,  and  to  have 
that  noisy,  slatternly  woman  buzzing  around  as  sick 
nurse  would  kill  me  outright  before  I  got  a  chance  to 
summon  one  of  the  Pimas.  All  my  medicines  are 
packed  at  the  bottom  of  my  specimen  cases ;  I  tossed 
everything  in  so  hurriedly  at  the  last  I  don't  even  know 
where  I  put  the  quinine.  Who  would  have  thought  that 
after  six  months  without  a  finger  ache,  the  very  first 
night  I  start  off  again  I  should  feel  like  this?  The 
woman  assures  me  the  canvas  cot  in  the  guest  room  is 
new ;  that  will  be  clean  in  any  case,  so  the  best  I  can 
do  is  to  turn  in.  A  civilized  bed,  even  if  it  is  without 

64 


springs,  will  be  quite  a  luxury  after  all  the  nights  1 
have  spent  on  a  sand  bank  or  a  mat-covered  heap  of 
saccaton." 

The  Scientist  forthwith  retired  to  the  bare,  windowless 
guest-chamber,  and,  undressing,  rolled  his  coat  into  a 
pillow  and  threw 
himself  on  the 
stretched  canvas. 
He  fell  asleep  with- 
out looking  at  his 
watch ;  the  sun  had 
not  set  over  an  hour,  but  dark- 
ness fell  early  within  the  ranch, 
and  it  seemed  to  him  already 
late. 

As   he   slept,  he   dreamed   of 
Ampharita    for    the    first   time  SUMMONDSIA  CALIFORNIA  - 
in  his  life.     He  saw  her   stand-        THE  QUININE  PLANT. 
ing  beside  his  horse  as  at   the 

moment  of  parting.  Again  he  hung  the  golden  chain 
about  her  throat,  but  the  dream  cross  was  jewelled, 
and  gleamed  with  the  violet  glow  of  the  amethyst.  He 
kissed  her  velvety  cheek,  and  the  salute  was  greeted 
by  a  tattoo  upon  a  score  of  dance-drums.  The  girl 
flung  her  arms  around  his  neck,  and  swung  herself  upon 
the  horse  behind  him.  The  noise  continued  and  grew 
in  magnitude.  The  Indian  girl  seemed  to  fly  higher  up, 
up  far  over  his  head,  borne  aloft  on  a  ray  of  light  until 
she  disappeared  entirely,  and  the  ray  descended  to  earth 
again  and  glowed  in  the  darkness. 

Then  he  distinctly  heard  a  man's  voice  calling  him, 
41  Caballero,  Caballero,  I  say,  wake  up  !  there  is  some  one 
out  here  who  wants  to  speak  to  you." 
5  65 


"  What  has  happened  ?  —  who  's  there  ?  —  what  do 
you  want?  "  -  called  out  the  Scientist,  opening  his  eyes 
and  observing  that  the  ray  of  brilliant  light  with  which 
his  dream  had  closed  still  played  upon  the  floor  of 
his  room,  which  it  penetrated  through  a  chink  in  the 
door-way. 

"  There  is  a  messenger  out  here  from  the  Pimas  who 
will  not  rest  without  speaking  to  you.  The  matter 
seems  to  be  very  pressing." 

"  Not  at  this  time  of  night,"  called  out  the  Scientist. 

"  The  messenger  arrived  only  half  an  hour  after  you 
had  retired,  she  was  covered  with  dust  and  sweat.  My 
wife  looked  after  her,  and  begged  her  to  rest  until 
to-morrow ;  but  she  wept  so  piteously  when  she  learned 
that  the  Caballero  had  barred  himself  in  his  room,  and 
left  orders  that  he  should  not  be  awakened  until  he 
chose  to  arouse  himself,  that  I  consented  to  disturb  you, 
or  I  think  the  women-folk  would  have  done  it  instead." 

"  Let  her  wait  till  morning,"  growled  the  Scientist. 
"  I  feel  ill ;  say  I  have  fever.  I  will  not  get  up  in 
answer  to  such  childishness."  And  he  tried  again  to 
go  to  sleep.  But  he  could  hear  a  whispered  altercation 
going  on  without  the  door,  and  again  and  again  the  ray 
of  light  was  cut  off  or  glowed  as  though  figures  were 
passing  to  and  fro  between  its  source  and  the  entrance 
to  his  room. 

Presently  the  Ranchero  knocked  again.  This  time 
more  gently.  "  Caballero,"  he  said,  "  are  you  awake?  " 

"  Naturally  I  am,  since  you  awakened  me,"  called  out 
the  Scientist. 

"Then  listen;  the  messenger  must  see  you.  She 
begs  to  be  allowed  to  slip  in  at  the  door  and  watch  over 
you,  Caballero.  She  will  nurse  you  and  take  away  the 

66 


fever.  She  seems  half  distraught  to  reach  you.  I  tried 
to  open  the  door  from  the  outside ;  but  you  have  barred 
it  from  within  too  securely.  I  dare  not  retire  to  sleep 
and  leave  her  by  herself  for  fear  some  harm  may  befall 
her.  Indeed  her  message  must  be  urgent,  or  she  would 
not  insist  so,  for  she  seemed  the  most  timid  and  gentle 
of  creatures  when  she  arrived,  though  she  grows 
strangely  excited  when  I  seek  to  pacify  her  and  take 
her  away.  Oh,  Caballero,  please  let  her  see  you  for  one 
moment." 

The  Scientist  growled,  "  For  Dios,  are  you  all  mad? 
Be  off  to  sleep.  You  have  had  too  much  teswin." 

The  noise  without  his  door  ceased,  and  the  light 
streamed  steadily  through  the  crack.  It  made  the 
objects  in  his  room  half  visible,  and  his  eyes  refused  to 
close.  He  hated  any  light  in  his  room  at  night,  and 
the  irritation  he  felt  at  being  aroused  from  his  first 
sleep  caused  his  skin  to  prickle.  He  would  have  liked  to 
have  pommelled  the  Ranchero  and  the  messenger,  had 
they  been  within  his  grasp.  No  matter  how  good  were 
their  intentions,  they  had  behaved  unkindly  in  arousing 
him,  more  unkindly  than  they  could  devise  ;  for,  in  arous- 
ing him,  the  Ranchero  had  awakened  the  demon  of 
curiosity.  It  seemed  to  gnaw  his  nerves  and  hammer 
at  his  brain,  suggesting  reason  after  reason  for  the  un- 
timely visit  and  persistence  of  the  messenger.  Presently 
he  thought  he  heard  some  one  sobbing  without  his  door. 

Could  a  serious  accident  have  happened  after  he  left 
the  pueblo  which  had  led  the  Chief  to  send  an  Indian 
after  him?  Why  should  the  messenger  be  in  such  haste 
to  see  him?  Perhaps  the  illness  of  some  prominent 
man,  or,  what  was  more  probable,  he  had  perchance  for- 
gotten a  bit  of  cotton  or  a  knife  by  which  they  thought 

67 


he  set  great  store.  Some  one  might  have  been  wounded  ; 
for  he  remembered  a  fishing  expedition  had  started  into 
the  Sierra,  which  the  Chief  had  been  too  aged  to  accom- 
pany, and  ordered  to  be  undertaken  under  the  leader- 
ship of  his  son,  who  was  young  and  had  but  little 
experience  in  dealing  with  the  treacherous  pala  de 
flecha.  What  a  fool  the  Ranchero  was,  not  to  have 
found  out  the  cause  of  the  messenger's  persistence  and 
called  it  through  the  door.  He  could  then  have  decided 
easily  enough  whether  he  should  rise  to  see  the  mes- 
senger, or  the  errand  could  wait  till  morning. 

Meanwhile  the  sobs  continued,  and,  curiosity  overcom- 
ing laziness,  the  Scientist  arose  and  wrapped  his  blanket 
around  him.  The  ray  of  golden  light  showed  him  the 
way  to  the  door.  As  he  approached  it,  the  sound  of 
sobbing  became  more  distinct,  although  when  he  lifted 
the  heavy  bar  out  of  its  socket  and  pulled  back  the 
rough  board  panel,  which  creaked  discordantly  upon  its 
ungainly  hinges,  the  court-yard  became  still.  He  peered 
out  into  the  patio,  determined  to  rate  the  delinquent 
who  had  not  only  refused  to  go  to  bed,  but  robbed  him 
of  his  own  rest. 

The  lantern  common  to  every  Mexican  cloister  swung 
like  a  pendulum  upon  its  chain,  so  that  the  shadows 
beneath  the  arches  crept  about  like  living  things.  The 
warm  glow  illumined  a  slight  figure  muffled  in  a  rebozo, 
which  had  started  forward  at  the  sound  of  the  opening 
door. 

"  Who  are  you  who  dare  to  disturb  me?  " 

Casting  off  her  scarf,  a  girl  dropped  upon  one  knee, 
and  raising  her  hand  held  up  a  tiny  object  that  sparkled 
in  the  lamplight  which  fell  full  upon  her  weary,  tearful 
face. 

68 


A    MESSENGER    FROM   THE    PJMAS. 


The  Scientist  recognized  Ampharita,  the  slight  Indian 
girl  he  had  left  behind,  not  the  bright,  idealized 
Ampharita  of  his  dream.  She  held  out  the  cross  as 
though  to  secure  indulgence  thereby  in  a  way  that 
touched  him,  but  he  would  not  show  it,  and  sought 
to  harden  his  heart. 

"  My  master,"  Ampharita  murmured,  timidly,  "  you 
look  so  very  angry.  O  pray  forgive  me,  or  I  cannot 
find  any  more  words  to  explain." 

"  What,  Ampharita  !  "  he  exclaimed  petulantly ;  but 
he  came  forth  from  his  room.  "  What  brought  you 
here  at  this  hour?  What  will  your  parents  say?  Could 
not  one  of  the  runners  have  come?  Who  was  cruel 
enough  to  send  you  so  far?  Why  did  you  hasten  so? 
This  morning  you  seemed  loath  to  move  a  finger  for  my 
sake;  what  aroused  you  afterwards?" 

The  girl  did  not  answer.  "  Speak,  I  say,"  the  white 
man  commanded. 

"  Forgive  me,  my  master,"  she  again  pleaded,  with 
upraised  hands.  "The  Ranchero  said  you  had  the 
fever." 

The  Scientist  saw  that  the  rough  tone  which  he  had 
never  before  used  toward  the  child  confused  her,  and 
that  if  he  would  elicit  a  satisfactory  answer,  he  must 
assume  his  usual  manner  in  addressing  her.  So,  with  an 
effort,  he  controlled  his  irritation,  and  asked  her  gently : 
"Ampharita,  tell  me,  child,  what  ails  you?  Has  some 
one  at  the  pueblo  fallen  ill?" 

He  could  think  of  nothing  but  his  reputation  as  a 
leech  that  could  have  caused  the  girl  to  run  so  great 
a  distance  to  catch  up  with  him,  and  to  be  in  the  sad 
plight  in  which  she  knelt  before  him.  If  in  truth  she 
had  followed  him,  and  insisted  upon  seeing  him  at  that 

70 


unreasonable  hour,  to  call  him  back  to  save  the  life  of 
a  human  being  he  would  forgive  both  her  and  the 
Ranchero  for  their  insistence. 

Ampharita  meanwhile  somewhat  regained  her  self- 
control  :  — 

"  Thank  God,  all  are  well  at  home,"  she  said,  timidly. 
Then,  as  he  began  to  frown  again,  she  added  hurriedly, 
"  But,  O  dear  master,  you  forgot  something  when  you 
left  us  this  morning." 

"  The  child  has  always  been 
careful  of  my  interest,"  he 
thought,  and  all  his  rancor 
vanished.  "  Poor  little  maid, 
she  has  run  thus  far  of  her 
own  free-will  to  return  to  me 
some  paltry  knife  or  screw,  for 
all  the  instruments  were  safely 
stowed  away.  I  saw  to  that. 
Still,  I  may  have  overlooked, 
possibly,  a  useful  bit  of  an  in- 
strument, in  my  hurry  to  get 
away,  and  whether  what  she  brings  is  useful  or  worth- 
less, she  meant  well  just  the  same."  So  he  added 
aloud :  — 

"What  was  it,  Ampharita,  that  I  forgot?  show  it  to 
me." 

"Can  you  not  see?"  she  exclaimed,  clinging  to  the 
little  cross  for  inspiration.  "  Do  you  not  remember? 
O  my  master,  you  forgot  me  !  " 

"You!" 

"  Yes,  do  you  not  remember  how  you  promised  that 
day  in  the  deep  barrancas,  that  I  should  go  with  you 
across  the  warm  yellow  waters  and  the  big  blue  waters, 

71 


1  O   MY   MASTER,   YOU 
FORGOT    ME ! " 


to  learn  to  read  and  write  and  understand  many  mys- 
teries? You  said  that,  like  the  pale-faced  maidens,  I 
should  learn  to  make  lines  with  a  broom  full  of  color, 
that  no  one  without  a  sense  of  smell  would  be  able  to 
tell  from  flowers  that  come  out  of  the  ground  and  blos- 
som on  the  growing  things.  If  one  tried,  thereafter,  to 
take  them  off  the  white  paper,  one  would  find  that  they 
were  not  really  there,  but  only  looked  to  be  there,  like 
the  water  one  sees  but  never  reaches  in  travelling  across 
the  desert.  Oh,  don't  you  remember?"  she  pleaded. 
"  You  said  that  I  was  to  learn  to  make  them  in  cloth, 
too.  You  said  that  though  there  is  no  smell  in  that 
kind  of  flower,  it  is  more  real  than  the  one  marked  upon 
the  paper,  and  one  can  wear  it  like  a  living  flower ;  but 
it  is  stronger,  and  lasts  a  long,  long  time,  for  man  has 
fashioned  it,  so  it  is  long-lived  like  the  spirit  of  man, 
and  one  can  keep  it  always  by  one  without  its  beauty 
fading,  and  its  petals  shrivelling  up  into  ugly,  little  dried 
bundles  as  do  the  flowers  of  the  barranca.  When  a 
pale-faced  girl  wants  to  keep  one  of  her  wonder-flowers, 
she  can  look  at  it  whenever  she  will,  and  can  touch  and 
fondle  it,  without  seeing  the  dead  petals  dry  up  and 
then  crumble  to  dust  upon  her  loving  breast." 

Ampharita  paused  and  laid  her  folded  hands  upon 
the  blanket-covered  side  of  her  bosom,  while  even  in 
the  lamplight  the  Scientist  observed  the  color  deepen 
upon  her  dark  cheek,  and  a  wave  of  emotion  cast  its 
spray  into  her  eyes. 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  all  this  before?  "  he  queried. 

"  You  never  told  me  that  you  were  planning  to  leave 
the  pueblo  altogether,"  she  answered,  "  I  thought  you 
would  let  me  know  in  time  to  make  a  bundle  and  take 
leave  of  my  parents.  I  have  nothing  much  besides  these 

72 


clothes,  and  I  could  have  fetched  all  I  own  in  the  space 
of  a  long  breath.  This  morning  you  surprised  me  as  I 
awaited  your  commands,  by  suddenly  pushing  me  away, 
and  my  heart  sank  so  fast  that  I  had  no  strength  to  run 
or  even  call  after  you.  See,  at  the  thought  of  it  the 
breath  leaves  me  again  now,"  and  she  leaned  back 
against  the  column,  struggling  to  regain  her  composure. 

"  Poor  child,"  the  Scientist  exclaimed,  "  shall  I  get 
you  some  water?" 

"  No,  no,  I  am  well  again,  am  I  not  with  you  ?  When 
I  could,  I  got  up,"  she  presently  proceeded,  "  and  fol- 
lowed you,  my  master;  and  I  came  along  as  fast  as  I 
knew  how  to,  but  you  were  already  asleep  when  I 
reached  here.  The  ponies'  legs  are  long  and  strong; 
but  my  master  did  not  retire  so  early  when  he  slept 
among  the  Pimas  !  " 

The  Scientist  understood  the  meaning  in  the  girl's 
quaint  sentences.  He  had  lived  long  enough  among 
the  Indians  to  know  that  they  consider  the  breath  as 
the  true  spirit  of  life.  Had  they  not  observed  it  on 
frosty  mornings  issuing  in  a  thick  white  cloud  from  the 
mouths  of  both  men  and  animals,  and  had  it  ever  been 
seen  to  veil  the  lips  of  the  dead?  Poor  little  Ampharita 
had  evidently  fainted,  and  on  coming  to  herself  had 
started  up  and  run  all  the  weary,  dusty  miles  that 
stretched  between  the  pueblo  and  the  ranch,  in  a  brave 
attempt  to  catch  up  with  the  ponies.  The  Scientist 
understood  just  as  clearly  what  the  Indian  girl  expected 
of  him,  and  the  effort  he  made  to  find  an  answer  was  as 
severe  as  that  made  by  the  Indian  maiden  to  construct 
the  long  explanatory  sentences.  She  had  been  forced 
to  stop  frequently  to  search  for  the  uncommon  terms 
expressive  of  the  unusual  ideas  that  she  had  imbibed, 

73 


and,  between  physical  exhaustion  and  nervous  excite- 
ment, she  had  indeed  but  little  breath  left  at  the  close  of 
her  story. 

The  Scientist  had  observed,  too,  that  despite  her 
timidity,  she  was  strong  in  her  faith  in  him,  and  be- 
lieved so  entirely  in  his  given  word,  that  the  thought  of 
his  having  intentionally  repulsed  and  abandoned  her 
had  never  entered  her  mind.  He  had  not  a  doubt  as 
to  her  capacity  for  profiting  by  instruction.  Had  she 
not  learned  to  assist  him  with  ease  and  dexterity?  Had 
she  not  gleaned  much  more  than  he  thought  possible 
from  his  idle  descriptions  of  European  life?  He  began 
to  realize  that  there  is  an  unwritten  code  of  moral  obli- 
gation toward  the  untutored  as  well  as  the  powerful.  A 
forgotten  law,  yet  every  infringement  of  which  has  been 
jealously  avenged  by  fate  in  an  upheaval  of  the  ignorant 
aimed  against  their  indifferent  but  more  prosperous 
brothers.  He  felt  that  he,  who  believed  in  physical 
equality,  and  the  obligations  entailed  by  culture,  had 
behaved  like  an  unreasoning  brute.  Had  he  given  a 
promise  to  lead  a  hungry  white  man  to  an  oasis,  he 
would  have  considered  it  binding.  Was  there  any 
greater  justification  for  the  breaking  of  a  promise  to  an 
Indian  girl?  He  blushed  furiously  in  answer  to  the 
questionings  of  his  own  spirit,  although  none  could  hear 
its  irrefutable  logic,  none  could  divine  his  hidden  prin- 
ciples, and  no  one  save  Ampharita  had  heard  his  idle 
promise  in  the  barranca.  Ah,  that  was  lucky  !  pleaded 
his  perspicacity.  That  would  enable  him  to  close  his 
heart  against  her  pleading,  and  by  some  subterfuge 
find  a  solution  to  the  dilemma  she  had  forced  upon 
him. 

But  just  here,  unfortunately,  he  looked  up  into  the 

74 


child's  honest  eyes,  his  perspicacity  was  routed,  and  he 
could  think  of  no  vague  and  comforting  answer. 

Ampharita  was  weeping  bitterly.  A  word  from  him 
would  console  her ;  yet  he  would  not  formulate  that 
word.  To  concede  that  he  had  promised  would  be  to 
yield.  To  deny  it  would  be  to  lie.  He  could  arrive  at 
no  decision.  The  tables  were  turned  ;  it  was  the  teacher 
now  who  had  no  voice,  no  words,  with  which  to  answer 
the  pupil.  He  opened  his  mouth,  intending  to  say 
something  like  —  Poor  little  one,  do  not  cry,  everything 
will  come  right;  but  he  said,  instead,  "Yes,  I  remember 
I  promised,  Ampharita."  The  words  escaped  him  au- 
tomatically ;  he  knew  not  how,  and  he  would  have  given 
much  to  recall  them. 

"  Then  it  is  settled  !  "  the  girl  exclaimed,  joyfully,  in 
a  burst  of  tears  which  fell  like  the  sunlit  shower  that 
refreshes  all  Nature  after  a  parched  and  torrid  day. 
Then,  drying  her  eyes  and  rising  to  her  feet,  she  ap- 
proached with  extended  hand,  "  Forgive  my  anxiety, 
which  made  me  childish.  See,  I  am  a  woman  now,  and 
will  weep  no  more.  How  fortunate  that  I  followed  you  ! 
I  am  indeed  glad  God  gave  me  strength  to  catch  up 
with  you.  I  felt  all  the  time  that  all  that  was  needed 
was  for  me  to  find  the  right  words  to  remind  you,  —  and 
I  prayed  so  hard  !  " 

"  No,  we  cannot  settle  so  grave  a  question  all  in  a 
flash  !  "  the  man  protested,  his  perspicacity  striving  to 
recover  the  ground  that  it  had  lost.  "  I  am  not  going 
across  the  big  warm  waters  at  present.  I  am  going  to 
travel  about  a  great  deal  amid  the  mountains  and  des- 
erts of  Mexico.  I  am  going  to  visit  that  country  of 
which  you  have  heard,  where  the  awful  mountains 
smoke  continually,  and  sometimes  vomit  fire,  to  the 

75 


destruction  of  all  that  is  within  reach.  Do  you  not 
remember  hearing  about  them?  Think  if  you  were 
forced  to  approach  so  close  to  them  as  to  feel  the 
ground  tremble  and  heave  beneath  your  feet?  Yet  I 
am  going  even  closer  than  that,  to  where  the  thickest 
sandals  will  be  scorched  to  dust,  and  the  noise  is  often 
so  great  that  one  can  no  longer  hear  the  human  voice. 
But  even  that  is  not  the  worst  of  all.  I  am  going,  first, 
right  into  the  country  of  the  children  of  the  White  Chief 
of  Chiefs,  who  are  at  war  among  themselves.  The  Chi- 
huahuans  are  killing  their  brethren.  Any  moment  I 
may  be  taken  prisoner ;  and  they  would  treat  you  rudely 
despite  all  that  I  should  say.  Fancy,  you  might  be 
shot  dead,  or  killed  by  a  fearful  accident,  or  carried 
away,  far  away,  from  me  a  captive,  alone  at  the  mercy 
of  cruel  men,  when  you  had  not  been  a  week  away  from 
the  pueblo !  You  had  better  let  me  go  alone.  Sup- 
pose a  snake  should  bite  me  as  I  press  through  the 
brush,  and  I  die  of  its  poison,  there  would  be  no  one  to 
look  after  you,  and  lead  you  to  a  place  of  safety.  You 
would  die  of  hunger,  or  be  devoured  alive  by  the 
coyotes  !  Does  none  of  this  frighten  you  ?  "  he  added, 
in  desperation,  for  she  listened  with  an  expression  of 
indifference. 

"  Where  it  is  safe  for  you  to  go,  it  is  safe  for  me  to 
follow,"  she  answered.  "  Have  you  not  said  that  I  am 
brave  and  strong  beyond  my  years  ?  Have  we  not  often 
been  together  to  places  shunned  by  the  young  braves ; 
and  did  I  ever  tremble  or  draw  back?  Where  it  is  not 
safe  for  most  men  to  go,  or  suffering  and  danger  awaits 
you,  I  will  be  of  help  to  you,  and  will  use  cunning  tricks 
to  protect  you  if  needs  be.  Ah,  do  not  smile !  Even 
an  Indian  girl  can  place  herself  between  a  man  and 

76 


POTTERY   MAKERS. 


77 


death,  or  if  her  body  screen  him  not  enough,  she  can 
use  the  secrets  of  the  Pimas  to  lure  him  back  to  health 
and  strength. 

"  And  if  death  indeed  strikes  me  beside  you,  or  alone," 
she  continued,  "  what  difference  is  there  in  the  horror  of 
dying  now,  or  after  a  few  more  rainy  seasons,  provided 
one  die  doing  rightly?  We  Indian  girls  see  death's  blight- 
ing touch  so  often,  we  know  all  about  it,  even  when  we 
are  very  little.  Don't  you  know,  if  one  is  not  afraid, 
and  does  not  struggle,  the  breath-spirit  slips  out  quickly, 
easily,  as  it  does  with  babies  and  birds  and  beasts  and  the 
very  old  that  die  naturally.  Then  the  sun-spirit  draws 
them  up  towards  heaven,  just  as  it  does  the  mist  and  the 
frost,  and  while  they  sleep  soundly  the  breath  is  gone. 
Oh,  yes,  the  messengers  of  death  prowl  about  every- 
where, just  like  the  hungry  coyote ;  but,  unless  one 
fights  them,  they  need  not  be  feared.  They  stop  one 
in  the  dance,  or  another  while  fetching  water,  digging 
for  roots,  or  potter's  clay,  hoeing  the  corn,  or  gathering 
berries  in  the  barrancas.  They  strike  the  ball-player  as 
he  runs  swiftly  along  the  course,  and  he  falls  without 
strength.  They  sometimes  turn  the  arrows  of  the  cruel 
hunter  against  his  dearest  friend.  Any  moment  I  may 
tread  upon  a  scorpion  or  a  snake,  and  it  may  spit  death 
into  my  blood,  or  a  poisonous  spirit  of  a  wicked  plant 
may  enter  my  flesh,  and  turn  it  into  food  for  worms. 
The  messengers  sit  on  the  arrow  and  whisper  to  the 
spirit  in  its  head.  A  leaden  ball  can  hurt  no  worse  than 
a  pointed  stone  or  a  snake's  tooth.  The  end  will  come 
when  my  work  is  done.  Remember,  you  promised  I 
could  remain  with  you,  O  my  master,  even  until  the 
end." 

The   Scientist   had    listened    entranced    by   the    low 

78 


melody  of  the  voice,  the  rhythmic  cadence  of  the  Indian 
syllables  as  she  slowly  uttered  for  him  her  nature  lore. 
When  she  paused,  he  started.  In  his  aesthetic  delight 
in  the  words,  he  had  forgotten  the  theme  of  her  argu- 
ment ;  and  he  felt  his  heart-strings  tighten,  and  a  lump 
rise  in  his  throat,  making  it  impossible  for  him  to 
utter  a  sound.  The  girl  had  spoken  like  one  who  re- 
peats a  well-learned  lesson,  not  with  the  accents  of  one 
arguing  from  self-interest.  As  she  waited,  looking  out 
at  the  stars  oblivious  of  his  presence,  a  feeling  of  chilli- 
ness overcame  him  and  seemed  to  numb  his  vitality. 
He  drew  his  blanket  closer  about  him,  and,  seating  him- 
self upon  a  bench,  clasped  his  brow  between  his  hands 
and  forced  himself  to  think  dispassionately  upon  the 
situation. 

Despite  the  generosity  and  impulsiveness  of  his  nature 
he  felt  it  would  be  folly  to  take  Ampharita  to  Europe. 
It  was  natural  that  an  aborigine  could  see  no  difficulty 
in  the  way  of  his  carrying  an  Indian  girl  with  him 
throughout  the  world.  It  was  all  very  well  for  philoso- 
phers to  compare  the  devotion  of  these  same  aborigines 
to  white  men  with  the  faithfulness  of  a  dog  to  its  master, 
or  to  extol  the  adoption  or  transplantation  of  natives  as 
the  work  of  high-minded  philanthropy.  No  one  with 
a  grain  of  common-sense  would  accept  such  subter- 
fuges ;  his  kindest  friends  would  smile  behind  their 
moustaches  or  fans  according  to  their  sex,  and  the  pro- 
fessors and  their  wives  would  wag  their  heads,  even  if 
they  did  not  actually  say  unkind  things  about  Ampha- 
rita. Only  the  most  ignorant  savage  could  for  an  instant 
expect  him  to  fulfil  such  an  idiotic  promise  as  that 
extorted  by  her  in  the  barranca ;  yet  how  rationally  had 
the  girl  argued  the  case  from  her  point  of  view  !  Could 

79 


he  answer  her  half  as  logically?  What  a  wonderful 
command  of  language  she  had  suddenly  developed ! 
Of  course  it  was  natural  that  she  should  strain  her 
powers  to  the  uttermost  to  argue  her  point,  when  the 
gaining  of  it  meant  undreamed-of  opportunities.  But 
who  would  have  ever  for  one  instant  imagined  the 
shy  quiet  maiden  possessed  of  such  conversational 
powers,  such  richness  of  fancy?  And  if  she  was  indeed 
a  ram  avis,  was  he  not  bound  to  develop  her  faculties? 
Would  it  not  be  possible  to  compromise  matters,  and 
fulfil  his  troublesome  promise,  by  shipping  her  to  Europe, 
and  thus  keep  his  word  and  satisfy  the  girl  without 
sacrificing  his  scientific  work?  If  only  a  seaport  were 
near,  how  simple  it  would  be ;  but,  alas !  even  should 
he  defer  his  cherished  plans,  it  would  require  weeks  of 
arduous  travel  to  reach  a  point  whence  he  could  con- 
fidently start  her  on  a  solitary  voyage  across  the  ocean 
to  his  fatherland.  Granted  that  he  should  carry  her 
away  with  him,  and  arrange  for  her  education  abroad, 
how  could  she  be  happy  amid  the  thousand  conven- 
tional restraints  of  civilized  life  without  a  single  tried 
friend  to  explain  their  uses,  and  patiently  train  her  in 
the  observance  of  them  ?  He  could  not  stay  to  watch 
over  her.  His  people  would  be  forced  to  put  the  young 
barbarian  in  a  convent.  Her  directness  and  simplicity 
would  scandalize  the  nuns,  and  her  heart  would  be 
broken  in  trying  to  learn  the  meaning  of  what  she  saw 
about  her.  Her  independent  spirit  and  wild  nature 
would  never  brook  the  physical  restraint  within  the 
gloomy  convent  chambers,  even  should  the  deep  ten- 
derness of  her  nature  create  a  bond  of  sympathy  be- 
tween her  pure  spirit  and  that  of  her  teachers.  Would 
her  tropical  constitution  resist  the  damp,  cold  climate 

80 


and  the  exigencies  of  convent  life,  even  if  all  else  suc- 
ceeded?—  as  soon  transplant  a  cactus  to  the  chill  con- 
vent court-yard. 

How  would  she  feel  in  the  conventional  uniform  which 
would  compress  her  well-developed  muscles  and  fetter 
her  agile  limbs?  How  would  the  nuns  punish  her  pan- 
theistic devotion  to  all  God's  creation?  She  would  be 
crushed  beneath  the  load  of  dogma  with  which  they 
would  seek  to  extirpate  it.  No,  no,  to  carry  her  with 
him  to  certain  death  would  be  far  better  than  that !  but 
there  must  be  some  way  out  of  this  terrible  dilemma. 
He  thought:  "It  is  all  so  puzzling  because  I  am  too 
tired  and  confused  to  make  it  out  just  now,  and  the 
child's  presence  seems  to  hypnotize  me.  While  she 
sleeps,  I  can  think  it  over  unrestrainedly.  She  is  satis- 
fied now,  so  I  will  send  her  to  bed  ;  and  when  day  comes, 
after  a  good,  refreshing  night's  rest,  I  will  surely  find  a 
logical  solution  which  will  be  so  simple  that  I  will  laugh 
at  my  present  anxiety." 

He  looked  at  Ampharita,  who  had  seated  herself 
Indian  fashion  beside  the  pillar  of  the  patio.  The  white- 
washed adobe  formed  a  background  against  which  her 
graceful  silhouette  cast  its  delicate  shadow.  The  yel- 
low light  from  the  lantern  played  caressingly  over  her 
crossed  arms  and  regular  features.  Now  that  she  had 
explained  everything  to  her  master,  her  belief  in  his 
truthfulness  had  obliterated  all  trace  of  fatigue  from 
her  mobile  countenance,  and  as  she  turned  her  eyes 
and  gazed  upwards  into  the  purple  star-spangled  vault 
of  the  tropical  night,  her  face  became  suffused  with  a 
wonderful  expression  of  absolute  trust,  which  caused 
her  in  her  perfect  stillness  to  resemble  an  antique  statue 
of  an  inspired  young  Egyptian  anchorite,  clothed  by  the 
6  81 


tender  fancy  of  a  Byzantine  artist  in  stiff  draperies  of 
rich-colored  enamel. 

The  Scientist  spoke  :   "  Ampharita  !  " 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice  she  turned  her  eyes  to  his. 
Their  lambent  beauty  and  sincere  expression  fairly  hurt 
him. 

"  Up,  little  wanderer,"  he  said,  "  and  away  to  rest." 

She  arose  and  approached  him,  but  she  did  not  pre- 
pare to  move  away. 

"  It  is  much  too  late  for  those  big  eyes  to  be  wide 
open.  They  seemed  to  have  caught  two  stars  while 
gazing  into  the  night  sky.  Your  people  have  been 
sleeping  for  hours.  Go  to  rest  now ;  in  the  morning  I 
promise  I  will  take  you  whither  I  go.  More  you  have 
said  you  do  not  desire.  The  journey  is  a  long  one,  and 
the  wings  of  birds  of  travel  must  be  strengthened  by 
rest." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  my  master,"  the  girl  exclaimed,  "  I 
knew  that  you  were  true !  "  And  casting  one  more 
glance  of  beatific  trust  upon  his  now  smiling  face,  she 
sped  away  into  the  darkness,  and  sought  the  women's 
quarters. 


KITCHEN-RING   ACCESSORIES. 


82 


CHAPTER   IV. 

His  honor  rooted  in  dishonor  stood, 

And  faith  unfaithful  kept  him  falsely  true. 

ELAINE. 

THE  Scientist  waited  until  the  sound  of  Ampharita's 
light  footfalls  had  died  into  silence,  then  he  slowly  arose 
from  the  bench,  and,  gathering  his  blanket  about  him, 
strode  into  his  sleeping-room  and  pushed  to  the  door. 
He  left  it  unbarred,  however ;  now  that  Ampharita  was 
at  the  ranch,  he  felt  less  suspicious  of  his  surroundings. 

Casting  himself  again  upon  the  cot,  he  disposed  himself 
to  rest ;  but  he  found  the  canvas  surprisingly  hard,  and  he 
thought,  with  poignant  regret,  of  the  fragrant  heap  of 
well-cured  saccaton  in  the  corner  of  the  cactus  hut  at  the 
Pima  pueblo.  In  vain  he  strove  to  go  to  sleep ;  the 
more  he  determined  not  to  think  of  the  immediate  fu- 
ture, the  more  persistently  did  the  unbidden  thoughts 
career  through  his  brain.  His  ear  ached  from  contact 
with  his  corduroy  coat ;  his  shoulders  were  sore  from 
the  ride ;  his  face  was  blistered ;  and  he  tossed  about 
uneasily. 

"  A  coat  makes  an  abominable  pillow,"  he  growled  ; 
"  no  wonder  I  am  uncomfortable ;  every  rib  and  button 
bores  into  my  flesh,  and  the  seams  feel  as  if  made  of 
whalebone.  I  ought  to  travel  with  a  pillow.  Fie,  I  am 
becoming  an  old  woman.  Whoever  was  it  invented  the 

83 


abomination  of  canvas  cots,  any  way?  They  are  rough, 
hot,  unsavory,  and  absolutely  unelastic.  Oh,  for  the 
cool  wattle  walls  of  my  cactus  hut  among  the  Pimas, 
the  luxury  of  my  mat  upon  the  heap  of  dry  grass,  and 
the  familiar  sharp  bark  of  the  scavenging  coyotes  roam- 
ing around  the  village,  and  answered  by  the  deep  growls 
and  angry  snarl  of  the  faithful  watch-dogs.  If  I  am  to 
ride  my  pony  from  here  to  Chihuahua,  I  shall  have  to 
do  something  to  limber  him  up.  His  hand  trot  is 
harder  than  a  flail ! 

"  What  is  that  rustling,  pattering,  squeaking,  and  swish- 
ing? Oh,  the  pestiferous  vermin!  What  a  pity  these 
Mexicans  do  not  relish  mice  and  bats'  meat,  or  trap  and 
exterminate  the  horrid  things.  I  hear  a  squealing, 
scampering  legion  beneath  my  feet,  and  the  bats  scud 
past  my  ears  in  flying  battalions.  There,  I  saw  their 
mocking  eyes  gleam  in  the  light  that  falls  through  the 
crack  in  the  door !  They  seem  to  crunch  their  sharp 
teeth  with  a  sound  like,  '  Stay  awake,  stay  awake !  '  I 


ti^S  «-  **-ff  •?  -^  ftft- 
RATS   AND   MICE  —  DIPODOMYS   AGILIS,   ETC. 

am  sure  the  devil  is  in  them,  and  amusing  himself  at 
my  expense.  If  only  the  Indian  boys  were  here,  they 
would  give  them  each  a  short  shrift  and  an  arrow-point. 
I  wonder  why  Ampharita  will  never  kill  a  creature  if  she 
can  help  it." 

84 


He  had  tried  to  keep  his  mind  on  general  topics,  and 
the  philosophical  problems  which  generally  induce  sleep, 
but  he  could  not  control  it.  Just  as  he  grew  drowsy, 
and  his  will  disarmed  on  the  frontier  of  dreamland,  the 
unpleasant  thoughts  he  sought  to  vanquish  returned 
with  redoubled  ardor,  fresh  armed  for  the  attack.  His 
promise  to  Ampharita  seemed  to  excite  and  urge  them 
forward  with  tiresome  persistence ;  and  seek  to  avoid  them 
as  he  might,  they  doubled  upon  him,  routing  him  by 
means  of  new  and  painful  insinuations  and  logical  up- 
braidings,  which  it  took  some  time  to  argue  away. 
His  brain  was  in  a  mist;  unimportant  considerations 
assumed  giant  proportions,  insignificant  noises  were 
magnified,  while  vital  questions  eluded  him,  despite  his 
determination  to  grasp  them.  He  could  decide  on  noth- 
ing, though  his  mind  had  been  made  up  from  the  start, 
and  he  knew  himself  just  weak  enough  to  feel  compelled 
to  hold  on  to  his  first  idea  at  any  cost.  The  more  painful 
he  found  it,  the  more  bound  he  was  to  maintain  it;  and 
remembering  the  specious  adage,  "  Drastic  measures  are 
curative,"  he  resolutely  turned  his  face  to  the  wall  and 
cajoled  himself  into  a  troubled  sleep.  Horrible  visions 
possessed  him  ;  and,  like  a  helpless  spectator,  he  watched 
the  skirmish  between  the  impersonations  of  his  mind 
and  heart,  while  his  professional  ambition,  humanitarian 
principles,  wayward  passions,  and  innate  purity  alter- 
nately cheered  or  hissed  the  contestants.  At  last, 
conscience,  which  seemed  a  kind  of  umpire,  arose, 
and,  uniting  forces  with  his  heart,  subdued  his  mind 
and  drove  the  spectators  from  the  field.  Then  he 
slept  peacefully,  —  the  still,  dreamless  sleep  of  ex- 
hausted nature. 

The  mice  continued  to  squeal,  but  their  voices  were 


as  a  pleasant  1'ullaby.  The  kangaroo-like  rats  continued 
to  hop  about  and  sniff  and  snort  without  disturbing  him. 
The  white  bats  scudded  close  to  his  brow,  but  he  no 
longer  realized  their  presence.  The  daylight  softly  stole 
through  the  chinks  of  the  eaves,  and,  touching  the 
hatchet-hewed  beams,  painted  them  a  deep  brown,  and 
then  a  tawny  buff,  in  the  slow  progress  of  advancing  day. 
The  mice,  rats,  and  bats  disappeared.  Each  article  in 
the  room  materialized,  and  still  the  Scientist  slept,  ob- 
livious of  the  changes  going  on  about  him. 

The  door  opened,  and   a  flood  of  pink  light  poured 
through  it,  in  which   floated   rather   than   walked   the 


BATS  —  VESPERTILIO   EVOTIS. 


advancing  figure  of  the  Indian  girl.  She  stopped,  and 
gracefully  balancing  a  large  earthen  olla  on  her  shapely 
head,  listened  for  the  morning  greeting  of  her  master; 
but  all  that  she  heard  was  the  regular  breathing  of  the 
sleeper.  Noiselessly  she  approached  the  rude  table, 
and,  raising  her  arms,  she  swept  the  heavy  water  jar 
from  her  head,  and,  stooping,  placed  it  upon  the  floor ; 
next,  taking  a  bunch  of  soap-root  and  a  clean  piece  of 
cotton-cloth  from  the  fold  of  her  blanket,  she  laid  them 
beside  it,  and  contemplated  her  work,  well  satisfied. 
Stepping  to  the  cot,  she  placed  her  hand  softly  upon  the 

86 


TAH-SUN-UP,    CREOSOTE   WOOD. 
87 


pale  brow  of  the  weary  sleeper,  and  murmured,  "  My 
master !  " 

The  Scientist  threw  one  arm  up  restlessly  over  his 
head,  forcing  her  hand  away.  He  tossed  from  side  to 
side,  frowning  darkly  and  muttering  something  in  an 
unknown  tongue  ;  but  he  did  not  answer  her. 

Ampharita  again  touched  his  brow  with  her  cool, 
shapely  fingers,  and  finding  it  hot,  fetched  the  piece  of 
cloth,  and,  wetting  a  corner  of  it  in  the  cold  water,  began 
to  bathe  his  face,  gently  whispering  tender  little  Indian 
words  such  as  she  would  have  used  to  arouse  one  of  her 
little  brothers. 

The  Scientist  groaned,  sighed,  and  opened  his  eyes 
with  a  nervous  start. 

"  You  are  feverish,  my  master,"  the  girl  whispered. 
"  Shall  I  make  you  a  soothing  infusion  of  quinine 
plant?  " 

"  No,  no,"  he  said ;  "  why  did  you  not  let  me  sleep 
longer?  —  All  I  need  is  rest,"  he  added  impatiently,  and 
turned  again  towards  the  wall. 

"  Forgive  me,"  she  said,  smiling  brightly  at  his  troub- 
led expression  and  heavy  eyes,  "  my  master  is  very  lazy 
this  morning.  The  Ranchero's  wife  has  nearly  finished 
preparing  his  breakfast,  and  I  have  brought  him  a  big 
olla  full  of  fresh,  cool  water,  which  I  drew  on  purpose 
from  the  outside  well.  I  felt  that  it  was  a  pity  to  disturb 
my  master's  dream  ;  but  the  sun  will  not  await  our  pleas- 
ure, and  my  master  said  last  night  that  to-day's  journey 
would  be  long." 

The  Scientist  turned  and  stretched  out  his  hand,  beck- 
oning for  a  drink ;  and  the  maiden,  smiling  again,  lifted 
the  olla  and  held  it  to  his  lips.  Then  when  he  had 
had  sufficient  she  set  it  down  in  the  same  place,  and, 

88 


gliding  out,  closed  the  door,  while  to  the  man  who  found 
himself  alone  again  in  the  buff  twilight  it  seemed  as  if 
she  had  carried  all  the  life  and  brightness  of  the  world 
with  her,  abandoning  him  to  the  sorry  companionship  of 
darkness  and  discontent. 

Stray  sunbeams  penetrated  here  and  there  through  a 
crack  in  the  wood-work,  but  the  Scientist  felt  that  the 
stuffiness   of  the    windowless    room    was 
unbearable,    and   that    the   freshness  and 
life  of  the  morning  had  come  and  gone  as 
attributes  of  the  Indian  girl.     He  rubbed 
his  eyes,  and  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  The  child  told  the  truth  as  usual," 
he  exclaimed  ;  "  the  sun  has  been  up  half 
an  hour !  " 

Jumping  to  his  feet  he  caught  up  the     A  HAIR  BRUSH. 
water  jar  and  cast  part  of  its  refreshing 
contents  over  his  throbbing  head  and  sore   shoulders. 
He  rubbed  his  wet  skin  with  the  little  bundle  of  yucca 
root  which  lay  beside  the  impromptu  towel.       The  aro- 
matic lather  refreshed  him,  and  the  horrors  of  the  night 
began  to  fade  from  his  memory. 

"  What  a  treasure  she  is,"  he  thought,  as  he  threw 
more  water  over  his  hair  and  beard,  "  and  wrhat  a  con- 
stitution !  She  looks  as  fresh  and  bright  this  morning 
as  though  she  had  spent  yesterday  dawdling  about  the 
village,  stripping  willows,  instead  of  running  nearly  forty 
miles  across  those  hot  wastes  which  taxed  my  endurance 
on  horseback.  I  wonder  how  I  would  have  found  water 
for  my  ablutions  this  morning  if  she  had  not  followed 
me.  Indeed,  I  shall  miss  her  attentions  terribly.  Bah  ! 
if  I  am  to  be  weakly  dependent  upon  the  attentions  of 
womankind,  I  had  better  go  back  at  once  to  civilization 

89 


and  my  mother's  and  sisters'  apron-strings.  What  is  the 
use  of  sentimentalizing?  Ampharita  has  served  me 
faithfully ;  but  the  period  when  her  good  offices  were  of 
value  is  past.  After  to-morrow  my  only  roof  will  be 
the  firmament,  and  what  should  I  do  with  a  girl  under 
those  circumstances?" 

The  struggle  between  what  he  felt  to  be  his  duty  and 
his  honor  recommenced,  and  he  finished  dressing  auto- 
matically. His  face  grew  grave  and  hardened  gradually. 
As  he  tugged  viciously  at  his  belt  strap  and  donned  his 
coat,  a  plan  materialized  in  every  detail ;  and,  throwing 
open  the  door,  he  called  loudly  for  the  Ranchero. 

"  Good-morning,  Senor,"  said  the  man  as  he  entered. 
'•  I  hope  you  slept  well." 

"Good-morning.     Where  is  Ampharita?" 

"  The  Indian  maiden  who  came  after  the  Caballero 
late  last  night  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  She  is  with  my  wife  on  the  other  side  of  the  patio, 
preparing  the  morning  meal  and  the  food  you  are  to 
carry  with  you.  Shall  I  call  her?  " 

"  No,  no :  it  is  well  as  it  is.  I  want  to  speak  with 
you  alone." 

The  Scientist  closed  the  door,  and  in  the  semi-dark- 
ness drew  the  man  into  the  farthest  corner  of  the  room. 
Laying  an  arm  across  his  shoulder  with  a  confidential 
gesture,  he  spoke  close  to  his  ear  in  suppressed  tones, 
for  he  knew  the  keen  sense  of  hearing  of  Ampharita, 
and  feared  some  hint  of  his  plan  might  reach  her. 

"  I  propose  to  ride  back  at  once  with  the  girl  to  the 
Pimas,  where  I  neglected  to  wind  up  a  certain  transac- 
tion. I  shall  leave  the  pack-horse  and  its  load  here  with 
you.  You  will  guard  them  well,  for  the  reward  will  be 

90 


according  to  the  care  they  receive.  An  hour  before 
dawn  to-morrow,  while  your  household  is  still  asleep, 
take  the  beast  and  all  my  belongings,  —  mind  that  you 
forget  not  a  single  bit  of  rope,  —  steal  away  with  them  to 
the  high  land  near  the  canon  that  runs  from  the  other 
side  of  the  Eternal  Stream  towards  the  sunset.  Turn 
twice  eastward,  yet  move  southward,  travelling  for  an 
hour's  quick  march  further." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  the  Mexican  interrupted,"!  know  per- 
fectly where  you  mean,  Caballero.  You  wish  me  to  take 
the  way  by  the  three  jagged  rocks  which  stand  out 
above  the  arroyo  so  near  together  that  no  one  can  see  a 
man  or  beast  that  rests  beneath  them,  though  the  rocks 
themselves  are  visible  for  miles  around." 

"  Exactly.  I  see  you  know  the  place.  Be  there  an 
hour  before  noon.  Hide  my  horse  and  your  own  in 
the  shade,  and  rest  secure  of  my  coming;  but  take  food 
enough  with  you  for  two  days.  I  will  strive  to  meet 
you  there  to-morrow  at  noon.  Should  I  not  arrive 
within  twenty-four  hours  thereafter  the  business  will 
have  miscarried,  and  you  can  come  back  to  the  ranch. 
If  I  do  not  arrive  here  cither  before  sunset  of  the  follow- 
ing day,  send  to  the  Pima  village  for  news  of  me.  Be 
not  anxious  about  the  time  you  will  lose  in  serving  me. 
I  shall  give  you  a  silver  piece  for  each  half  day,  and 
one  extra  if  the  horse  is  in  good  condition  and  his  load 
untouched.  You  know  it  consists  only  of  dried  plants 
and  insects,  which  are  of  use  to  none  but  me."  The 
Scientist  added  this  impressively,  and  showed  the  man  a 
handful  of  Mexican  dollars.  "  In  any  case  you  hold 
the  pack-horse  meanwhile  as  security,"  he  added  more 
carelessly.  "  Is  it  a  bargain?  " 

The  man  bowed  his  head  and  trembled  slightly.  The 

91 


allusion  to  dried  plants  and  insects  was  well  timed.  The 
summoning  of  the  white  man  to  the  Indian  village,  and 
his  copious  ablutions,  had  led  the  Mexican  to  conclude 
him  to  be  a  shaman.  Then  the  appointment  at  the 
Three  Rocks  had  shaken  his  faith ;  but  the  load  of  dried 
grasses  and  beetles  confirmed  his 
first  impression,  for  who  but  a  con- 
jurer would  pay  silver  dollars  for  the 
care  of  such  a  load,  and  the  Scientist, 
had  he  divined  it,  might  have  rested 
secure  that  not  a  thread  would  be 
touched  for  fear  of  arousing  his 
supernatural  powers. 

"  It  is  well ;  may  you  be  success- 

A   KEE-HO  OR  CARRY- 
ING BASKET.          «"»    said  tne  man.       '  My  oath  on  it, 
I  shall  forget  nothing,  Caballero." 

"  Mind,  not  a  word  to  any  one,  and  no  information  about 
the  journey,  even  should  the  girl  or  another  Indian  come 
here  to  seek  for  news  of  me  many  days  afterwards." 

"  Your  orders  shall  be  faithfully  obeyed  in  every  de- 
tail, Caballero.  Do  not  doubt  my  word.  I  am  plain- 
spoken,  but  an  honest  man,"  asseverated  the  Ranchero, 
anxiously.  "  Is  there  anything  more  I  can  do  for  the 
Caballero?" 

"  No,  nothing,  save  to  see  that  my  riding  pony  is 
saddled  without  delay  !  Sh  !  Not  another  word  about 
this.  I  think  I  hear  steps.  Be  off!  " 

The  Mexican,  sombrero  in  hand,  with  repeated  pro- 
testations of  devotion,  bowed  himself  towards  the  door. 
His  keen  eyes  still  twinkled  with  the  mingled  light  of 
the  promised  silver  and  his  discovery  of  a  great  white 
shaman,  but  he  determined  to  mention  his  suspicions  to 
none  save  his  wife. 

92 


Just  as  the  man  reached  the  door,  it  was  pushed  open 
by  Ampharita. 

"  My  master,"  she  warned,  "  the  sun  grows  hot,  and 
will  make  the  journey  doubly  hard.  We  have  cooked 
you  a  good  meal  of  tomales  and  tortillas,  which  is  grow- 
ing cold,  and  the  coffee  you  relish  will  not  be  fit  to 
drink.  Make  haste ;  see,  in  this  bag  about  my  neck  I 
have  enough  pinole  and  attole  to  maintain  us  for  many 
days ;  but  my  master  must  start  out  well-nourished." 

"  What  a  wise  child  !  "  the  Scientist  answered.  "  Come, 
I  am  ready ;  you  took  away  so  much  of  my  sleep  last 
night  that  you  cannot  expect  me  to  be  very  bright  this 
morning.  While  I  am  eating,  you  can  see  that  the 
Ranchero  saddles  my  riding  pony  properly.  The  other 
is  to  be  left  here  tethered.  To-day  we  go  home  to  your 
people  to  learn  your  parents'  wishes.  I  am  sure  you 
did  not  tell  them  you  were  coming  after  me." 

The  girl  looked  up  at  him  confidingly;  she  believed 
in  his  rectitude,  and  not  a  gleam  of  suspicion  came  into 
her  trustful  eyes. 

"  I  will  leave  the  bag  I  had  brought  tied  to  the  pack 
of  instruments  and  specimens ;  the  flour  of  the  yucca  is 
life-giving,  and  is  of  good  service  on  a  long  journey," 
she  said.  "  But  why  need  we  go  back  to  my  people ; 
they  know  where  I  am." 

"  Did  you  bid  your  parents  '  good-bye,'  and  ask  the 
Chief's  permission  to  follow  me?" 

"I  had  no  time  for  that;  but  I  met  the  Chief's  son 
and  the  fishermen  returning  to  our  pueblo,  and  I  sent 
back  a  message  by  them.  I  would  not  have  my  master 
journey  needlessly  on  my  account;  it  is  not  really  worth 
while.  My  people  will  not  expect  a  great  white  shaman 
to  waste  so  much  time  on  account  of  speaking  with  the 

93 


parents  of  a  maiden  whom  he  had  promised  to  carry 
away  with  him,  and  then  forgotten  in  the  confusion  of 
his  leave-taking." 

"  Never  mind.  We  are  taught  to  think  differently  of 
maidens  in  my  country;  and  I  cannot  carry  a  little  girl 
away  from  her  people  without  being  sure  that  her 
parents  and  Chief  approve.  Run  now  and  help  the 
Ranchero  while  I  eat." 

Walking  across  the  patio  the  Scientist  seated  himself 
on  a  low  wooden  stool,  which  had  been  placed  on  the 
cleanly  swept  ground,  between  the  tortilla  stone  and  a 
small  glowing  fire  of  mesquite  wood.  He  was  dazed  by 
the  spirited  way  in  which  Ampharita  had  answered 
him. 

"  Truly,  the  child  found  her  tongue  last  night  with  a 
vengeance,"  he  thought;  "and  an  uncommonly  glib 
tongue  it  is,  too.  I  trust  she  will  not  give  me  trouble, 
I  must  be  as  wary  as  a  real  shaman.  The  time  has 
come  for  me  to  show  that  I  am  no  weakling  to  be 
governed  by  the  fancy  of  a  brown  maiden,  but  a  wise 
white  medicine-man  who  decrees  what  is  best  for  his 
patients." 

An  array  of  earthen-ware  bowls,  ollas,  and  cajitas  stood 
on  the  ground  before  him.  A  decidedly  savory  odor 
came  from  them,  whetting  his  appetite.  He  expe- 
rienced a  certain  surprise  at  this,  when  he  bethought 
himself  of  the  miserable  food  prepared  for  him  the  night 
before,  and  the  disgust  which  had  prevented  his  swal- 
lowing more  than  a  few  of  the  least  greasy  titbits. 

The  Ranchero's  wife  squatted  near  him  full  of  tremu- 
lous omciousness.  A  slatternly  creature,  she  appeared 
even  more  jaded  than  the  night  before  ;  wrinkled  beyond 
her  age,  the  load  of  ignorance  and  dejection  under 

94 


PREPARING    FOOD. 


95 


which  she  labored,  caused  her  to  stoop  and  appear 
almost  deformed.  For  in  that  region,  where  everything 
heavy  is  either  balanced  upon  the  head,  or  supported 
upon  the  back  by  means  of  straps  that  pass  around  the 
forehead,  even  the  aged  are  erect  and  flat-shouldered. 
This  half-breed  woman,  who  had  been  exalted  to  the 
position  of  helpmeet  to  the  Ranchero,  because  of  her 
whilom  beauty,  was  envied  by  her  humbler  sisters,  who 
saw  her  relieved  from  all  the  arduous  labors  which  de- 
volve upon  Indian  wives ;  but  she  had  never  enjoyed  her 
position,  being  debarred  from  hard  work  and  ignorant 
of  all  else,  while  in  her  turn  she  envied  the  poorest 
mother  the  blessing  of  her  healthy  offspring;  for  she 
had  watched  her  own  weakly  little  ones  slowly  waste 
away  before  her  eyes,  until  a  row  of  little  heaps  of 
sand  and  brush  surmounted  by  rude  black  wooden 
crosses,  marked  the  burial-place  of  all  her  hopes  and 
ambitions. 

"  What  a  good  breakfast  you  have  prepared  for  me 
this  morning,"  said  the  Scientist,  as  he  devoured  a 
second  tomale.  "  This  maize  is  of  a  superior  quality. 
How  sweet  the  water  is  that  comes  from  your  well !  " 

"  It  is  not  the  virtue  of  the  maize,  nor  the  quality  of 
the  water,  which  none  before  you  has  called  sweet ;  it  is 
the  blessed  touch  of  the  ray  of  sunshine  from  the  Pima 
which  followed  you  hither,"  said  the  woman,  with  a 
long,  weary  sigh.  "  I  had  never  thought  to  learn  from 
the  Indians,  whom  our  Mexican  father  told  us  were  to  be 
despised  ;  but  that  child  has  taught  me  many  things  about 
cooking.  Little  things  which  seem  nothing,  and  make 
all  the  difference !  Then  the  reasons  she  gives  me  for 
other  things,  a  word  here  and  another  there,  they  make 
everything  in  life  worth  while.  How  pretty  she  looked 

96 


this  morning  as  she  moved  about  in  the  dawn,  kindling 
the  fire  and  fetching  the  water  !  So  light  a  step  has 
never  caressed  the  patio  in  our  day.  She  is  playful  as 
a  tame  fawn,  graceful,  gentle,  and  usefully  active  withal. 
Watch  how  she  fondles  the  horse,  and  how  he  seems  to 
like  her  caresses !  She  seems  born  to  play,  and  she 
does  the  work  of  a  servant,  but  as  though  it  were  a 
privilege  to  help  others.  What  she  touches  she  makes 
beautiful.  Oh,  why  can  I  not  keep  her  here  by  me  ! 
Leave  her  with  me,  kind  sir,  if  only  for  a  few  days ;  you 
have  so  much  in  your  life,  and  I  have  nothing  in  mine, 
but  she  would  make  it  different  forever  after.  My  hand- 
maids are  surly;  the  paeons  are  rough;  the  Ranchero  is 
away  for  days  and  days,  and  he  looks  at  the  teswin 
oftener  than  at  me  when  he  returns  to  the  ranch.  I  am 


ROCKING    AND   CARRYING    CRADLES. 


as  dry  leaves  beneath  his  feet,  only  fit  for  burning,  since 
I  cannot  rear  him  a  son.  Six  times  God  sent  me  a  baby 
to  clasp  in  my  arms  and  call  my  very  own,  and  then  He 
took  it  away  again,  shrivelled  and  blighted  by  the  very 
air  on  which  the  Indian  children  thrive.  The  coyotes 
howl  about  the  place  where  their  bones  lie  side  by  side, 
7  97 


covered  deep,  very  deep,  with  brush  and  sand,  that  they 
may  not  be  found  by  the  wild  beasts.  I  go  there  and 
sit  when  I  dare  take  my  eyes  from  the  handmaids,  or  I 
weep  here  in  a  corner  when  none  is  looking,  for  nothing 
bright  has  come  to  me  in  years,  save  this  child  who 
travelled  so  fearlessly  alone  through  the  night ;  and  now 
you  are  going  to  take  her  straight  away  again.  Guard 
her  as  a  very  great  treasure,  O  wise  white  shaman, 
even  a  half-breed  woman,  if  her  eyes  have  been  washed 
clear  by  much  weeping,  can  see  the  brand  of  God  upon 
one  of  His  creatures ;  and  the  maiden  is  one  of  those  in 
whom  He  takes  delight. 

"  Poor  woman,"  said  the  Scientist,  shaking  his  head 
sympathetically.  "  The  life  here  must  be  a  hard  and 
lonely  one  for  you.  If  you  had  a  church  to  pray  in, 
perhaps  you  would  be  less  unhappy." 

"  Yes ;  when  the  priest  comes  this  way,  it  is  a  bright 
day.  He  talks  of  my  innocent  babies  as  little  white  angels 
fluttering  about  in  Paradise  like  the  blue  butterflies  that 
dance  through  the  air  above  the  flowering  mezas.  He 
says  they  went  straight  up  to  God,  because  they  had 
not  lived  long  enough  to  be  weighed  down  by  a  single 
sin ;  and  he  says  they  pray  for  me  to  be  called  quickly, 
and  that  the  purging  for  my  sins  in  the  eternal  fires  be 
not  long.  Then  I  feel  content,  and  would  help  myself 
to  die  at  once,  did  1  not  know  that  that  would  destroy 
my  power  of  ever  reaching  them.  But  he  goes  away 
soon ;  no  one  lingers  at  our  ranch,  and  the  time  between 
his  visits  is  very  long." 

The  Scientist  answered  nothing,  for  his  intellect  was 
busying  itself  with  what  he  would  have  called,  "  the 
injustice  of  the  Fates."  "  The  pagans  alone  understood 
the  poetry  of  existence,"  he  thought,  "  when  they  repre- 

98 


sented  one  of  the  Fates  as  blind  and  armed  with  a 
shears  to  cut  off  all  access  to  joy,  the  second  as  an 
undeveloped  child,  the  third  as  a  senile  hag."  Evi- 
dently there  was  no  just  dispensation  of  providential 
favors.  Here  had  occurred  the  sweeping  away  of  much 
desired  infants,  leaving  a  kindly  mother's  heart  torn  and 
bleeding  for  something  to  love  ;  while  on  him  was  forced  a 
young  person  who,  no  matter  how  charming,  was  likely 
to  prove  very  much  in  the  way.  "  Still,"  he  mused, 
"  if  the  Fates  are  purblind,  they  can  be  all  the  more 
easily  controlled ;  that  is  the  brighter  lesson  hidden  in 
the  allegory  of  the  ancients.  They  realized  that  intel- 
lect can  control  all  things,  provided  a  man  trains  it 
to  obey  his  bidding.  The  more  perfect  the  training, 
the  more  absolute  the  control.  Therefore,  it  depends 
upon  my  intellect  to  arrange  things  to  suit  me  in  deal- 
ing with  these  ignorant  people  who  live  and  act  by 
instinct  alone.  The  Catholic  Church  has  grasped  this 
really  great  truth,  hence  its  power,  which  has  been 
demonstrated  even  in  the  case  of  this  poor  creature." 

The  Scientist  had  finished  eating  while  he  thought, 
and  drank  deeply  from  the  jar  of  coffee  which  Ampha- 
rita  had  brewed  for  him. 

The  woman  crouching  beside  him  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  his  presence,  while  gazing  at  the  Indian  girl 
as  though  in  her  she  saw  a  heavenly  apparition  soon 
to  be  caught  away  from  human  eyes.  Looking  in  the 
same  direction,  the  Scientist  acknowledged  to  himself 
that,  in  spite  of  her  dusky  skin,  the  girl  was  decidedly 
attractive. 

Unconscious  of  the  attention  she  was  receiving, 
Arnpharita  whiled  away  the  time  in  stroking  the  pony, 
pulling  his  ears  and  rubbing  them  softly  between  her 

99 


taper  fingers.  She  leaned  her  head  against  his  shaggy 
cheek,  and  murmured  something  which  the  animal 
seemed  to  understand  and  enjoy;  for  he  rubbed  his 
soft  nose  backwards  and  forwards  against  her  shoulder, 
blinked  knowingly,  and  whinnied  from  satisfaction. 


AN    INDIAN    liABY. 


TOO 


CHAPTER   V. 

She  still  took  note  that  when  the  living  smile 
Died  from  his  lips,  across  him  came  a  cloud 
Of  melancholy  severe,  from  which  again, 
Whenever  in  her  hovering  to  and  fro 
The  lily  maid  had  striven  to  make  him  cheer, 
There  brake  a  sudden-beaming  tenderness 
Of  manners  and  of  nature  :  and  she  thought 
That  all  was  nature,  all,  perchance,  for  her. 
And  all  night  long  his  face  before  her  lived, 
As  when  a  painter,  poring  on  a  face, 
Divinely  through  all  hindrance  finds  the  man 
Behind  it,  and  so  paints  him  that  his  face, 
The  shape  and  color  of  a  mind  and  life, 
Lives  for  his  children,  ever  at  its  best 
And  fullest;  so  the  face  before  her  lived. 

ELAINE. 

THE  Scientist  drank  the  rest  of  the  coffee,  set  down 
the  empty  crock  with  a  sigh,  and,  rising,  paused  to  ex- 
change a  few  parting  compliments  with  his  host  and 
hostess.  Then  he  turned  away  and  poured  a  little  clean 
water  over  his  hands,  shook  them  thrice,  and  dried  off 
the  moisture  with  his  handkerchief.  The  Mexicans 
watched  him  nervously,  for  they  imagined  that  this  sim- 
ple act  of  cleanliness  was  a  religious  rite  of  shamanistic 
virtue  ;  they  trusted  that  the  shower  of  drops  only  con- 
tained a  blessing,  but  one  could  never  be  too  sure,  the 

101 


stranger  had  been  very  angry  the  night  before,  and  the 
number  three  possessed  a  wonderful  power.  The  Scien- 
tist walked  away ;  and  they  followed  him  respectfully 
across  the  patio  to  where  Ampharita  and  the  pony  stood 
in  the  arched  gateway.  They  waited  while  he  mounted 
and  waved  his  hat  to  the  Ranchero,  pointing  eastward, 
and  calling  out,  "  Remember  my  pcny,"  ere  he  started 
out  into  the  dusty  sunshine. 

Ampharita  stepped  back  to  wish  a  cheerful  "  Good- 
bye "  to  the  Rancheros;  then  she  swiftly  rejoined  the 
white  man,  and,  suiting  her  gait  to  the  horse's,  kept 
close  beside  the  stirrup,  gliding  over  the  ground  with  a 
free  step  and  fresh  alertness. 

The  Scientist,  on  the  contrary,  despite  his  rationalistic 
inductions,  grew  more  and  more  listless  as  the  day  ad- 
vanced. Once  the  stimulating  effects  of  the  coffee  had 
worn  off,  he  felt  absolutely  depressed,  and  it  required 
all  the  words  and  nature  lore  at  Ampharita's  command 
to  draw  him  out  of  his  gloomy  mood. 

Her  unselfish  efforts  were  really  more  successful  than 
she  suspected ;  for,  as  the  hours  passed,  and  she  an- 
swered the  many  questions  about  the  customs  of  the 
Indians  that  he  put  with  grave  listlessness,  he  was  really 
charmed  by  her  descriptions,  and  the  road,  which  had 
seemed  so  long  and  tiresome  in  coming,  grew  short  and 
pleasant.  He  regretted  the  appearance  of  each  land- 
mark that  measured  off  the  distance  between  the  ranch 
and  the  pueblo,  while  his  prearranged  plan  grew  more 
and  more  distasteful. 

When  the  trail  lay  near  an  umbrageous  mesquite- 
tree,  or  an  unusually  large  yucca,  he  drew  rein  and  dis- 
mounted, saying  that  he  did  not  want  the  girl  to  arrive 
among  her  people  looking  fagged ;  and,  as  they  sat  to- 

102 


gether  in  the  shade,  a  feeling  of  contentment  stole  over 
him,  sweet  and  deceptive  as  the  languor  of  the  poppy. 

Ampharita  laughed   at  his  anxiety  about  her   looks. 
She   would    have    preferred  to   hasten    along,   and    get 


YUCCA    BACCATA. 

through  with  what  she  knew  the  Chief  and  her  parents 
would  consider  a  superfluous  ceremony.  Had  not  her 
father  heard  the  white  man's  tender  words  at  parting, 
and  seen  him  kiss  her  on  both  cheeks?  What  more  was 
needed?  The  Indians  of  the  Sierra  Madre  leave  the 

103 


choice  of  a  husband  to  the  marriageable  girls  ;  and  she 
felt  that  her  parents  could  but  be  proud  of  her  decision 
to  follow  the  white  man,  and  drink  at  the  source  whence 
he  drew  his  wisdom.  What  if  she  went  in  the  capacity 
of  a  servant;  that  lay  between  herself  and  her  con- 
science. Her  life  was  her  own  to  give  freely  as  she 
saw  fit ;  but  these  thoughts  she  kept  to  herself,  and  they 
filled  her  graceful  little  head.  It  seemed  as  though  the 
decision  she  had  taken  had  matured  Ampharita's  intel- 
ligence, and  in  the  sunlight  of  her  master's  kindliness 
her  mind  began  to  unfold  its  rare  blossoms.  Her 
tongue,  which  had  grown  eloquent  during  the  midnight 
interview,  when  beneath  the  scourge  of  anxiety  she  felt 
her  whole  future  depended  on  persuading  the  white 
man  to  give  her  the  education  and  enlightenment  he 
had  promised,  remained  supple  despite  the  return  of 
the  sunlight  and  confidence.  The  spell  of  silence  had 
been  effectually  broken,  and  her  simple  directness  lent 
a  fascinating  quaintness  to  all  she  described. 

"  Ampharita,"  said  the  Scientist,  "  tell  me,  do  you 
know  what  the  people  who  are  not  taught  by  the  priests 
believe  about  the  beginning  of  the  world?  " 

"Oh,  yes.  Why,  we  all  know  that,  for  the  great  talkers 
love  to  tell  about  it;  but  we  Christian  Indians  believe 
that  our  faith  is  better.  I  wonder  what  the  birds  and 
beasts  believe.  I  know  some  of  our  old  men  (and  some 
of  the  likely  young  bucks,  too,  for  that  matter)  believe 
as  do  the  heathen  Tarahumari  and  the  other  heathens 
west  of  the  mountains.  I  listen  when  the  limber-tongued 
talk  ;  and  then  I  go  out  into  the  barranca,  where  the  trees 
and  flowers,  the  winds  and  the  waters,  and  the  birds  seem 
to  tell  a  different  story,  —  especially  the  titmice,  with 
their  everlasting  chatter.  The  medicine-men  say  that 

104 


BRIDLED   TITMICE. 


105 


far  to  the  north  of  where  the  sun  rises,  in  the  land 
where  the  white  men  arc  now,  —  long,  long  before  the 
memory  of  those  whose  bones  are  sometimes  found  in 
caves,  green  and  hard  like  stone  from  age,  — the  fathers 
of  the  Apaches  and  the  Pimas  dropped  from  the  clouds 
with  corn  and  potatoes  in  their  ears.  Their  God  was 
with  them ;  and  he  gave  them  wives  and  children  in 
plenty.  He  was  big,  very  big;  and  when  he  showed 
them  how  to  dig,  he  turned  up  a  field  at  every  digging. 
But  when  he  had  brought  our  people  safely  to  where 
we  live  now,  leaving  a  family  here  and  another  there  on 
the  way,  as  he  saw  fit,  he  grew  very,  very  fond  of  the 
Tequino  (or  teswin,  as  we  call  it)  ;  and  one  day,  when 
he  was  resting  while  the  workings  of  the  drink  went  on 
in  his  brain,  a  great  bearded  devil  came  and  took  away 
his  wife,  whom  he  held  close  to  his  heart.  Then  the 
God,  the  great  Father  of  the  Pimas,  was  sad,  and  he 
mourned,  and  none  could  comfort  him.  He  said  to  the 
greatest  medicine-man  of  those  days,  '  I  cannot  stay 
with  you  longer,  my  faithful  son ;  the  devil  has  taken 
my  wife,  and  I  must  go  to  find  her.  But  I  will  leave 
two  crosses  in  the  world,  and  some  day  I  will  come 
again.'  I  wonder,  my  master,  if  you  are  he  !  They  say 
that  he  was  white ;  and  you  are  white,  and  so  bright 
and  glorious.  You  have  given  me  already  one  bright 
cross ;  perhaps,  when  I  am  wiser,  you  will  give  me  the 
other." 

"  What  a  strange  child  you  are  !  "  said  the  Scientist, 
flushing  uncomfortably.  "  Do  not  talk  so  about  me 
and  my  poor  little  gift.  I  am  only  a  plain  man ;  go 
on  about  the  great  God  who  was  about  to  leave  your 
people." 

"  The  people  wept  sore ;  and  while  they  wept,  the 

106 


skies  wept  too ;  and  while  the  people  sobbed  and  beat 
the  drums,  and  the  wind  and  cloud  spirits  did  the  same, 
the  great  God  went  away.  The  people  saw  the  clouds 
make  a  golden  road  for  the  God  ;  and  he  went  to  the 
east;  then  the  clouds  closed  up  again,  and  it  was  very 
dark.  But  when  the  sun  rose  the  next  day,  all  was 
clear  again,  and  a  fiery  cross  stood  high  in  the  heavens. 
Then  they  saw  the  great  God  of  the  Pimas  just  once 
more,  for  he  flew  over  their  heads  towards  the  west ;  and 
his  flying  form  became,  in  the  west,  like  a  great  dark 
cross,  and  the  shadow  of  the  great  dark  cross  remained 
behind,  and  fell  upon  the  whole  land.  The  medicine-men 
told  the  people  that  sorrowed  that  the  God  had  left  that 
wrestern  cross  to  show  the  people  the  shady  paths  to 
where  the  sun  rests,  and  beyond  to  his  heavenly  home, 
where  their  spirits  should  rest  forever.  When  the  Pima 
God  comes  down  to  help  his  people  on  earth,  he  comes 
by  the  eastern  cross,  and  thence  he  sends  the  new-made 
spirits  to  the  babies.  That  is  why  the  heathens  use 
crosses,  even  more  than  the  Christians,  and  will  not  live 
without  one  set  up  near  their  house,  where  they  worship 
and  dance  around  it  on  the  prepared  dance-ground.  I 
suppose  you  thought  them  Christians  when  you  first 
saw  them?" 

"  Well,  you  Christians  of  the  Sierra  Madre  have  faith 
in  so  many  things  that  the  Christians  among  us  do  not 
know  of,  you  should  forgive  a  little  mistake.  Tell  me 
about  some  of  the  things  which  the  Christians  care  for 
most  besides  the  cross?  " 

"  Of  course,  we  have  holy  water,  and  the  Madonna, 
and  the  masses,  and  the  prayers,  and  the  penance,  and 
the  feasts,  and  the  pictures  in  the  churches.  That  is 
well ;  but  we  like  what  the  heathen  or  Gentiles  care  for 

107 


because  there  is  only  one  priest  for  all  our  people,  and 
we  have  to  make  out  the  best  way  we  can  in  his  ab- 
sence, and  do  what  the  shaman  tells  us  is  good  for 
the  sick  and  unhappy,  and  pay  him  much,  very 
much  for  the  charms." 

"What  charms  does  he  help  you 
with  ?  "  asked  the  Scientist. 

"  For  one,  there  are  the  hikoris;  the 
medicine-men  understand  about  them. 
But  you  must  know  about  them  surely, 
for  everybody  believes  in  them.  You 
sport  at  me  when  you  look  like  that 
and  ask  such  simple  questions." 

"  Hikori?     Oh,  yes,  of  course  I  know. 


fc  n~~-  r~  *  '  '"r 

HOFFMANSEGGIA   STRICTA,  INDIAN   POTATO. 

It  is  a  kind  of  tree ;  but  I  thought  it  grew  in  a  colder, 
more  northern  climate.  Its  nuts  are  very  good  and 
nourishing." 

"  No,  the  hikoris  are  not  from  a  tree  with  nuts.  The 
hikoris  are  alive  and  wise  and  very  small  and  round  and 
hairy." 

"What?" 

108 


"They  look  like  a  certain  kind  of  cacti,  the  Bismoga, 
and  little  chollas ;  but  that  is  only  their  magical  hiding- 
place.  They  are  god-like  spirits." 

"  Spirits  in  little  round  cacti,  Ampharita?  " 

"  Hush,  you  might  offend  them  !  They  look  like  that, 
but  they  are  sacred ;  they  have  very  big  souls.  Even- 
plant  has  some  kind  of  soul,  just  as  the  animals  have. 
But  the  souls  in  the  animals,  the  medicine-men  say,  are 
the  souls  of  people  sitting  about  and  waiting  until  kind 
friends  dance  and  pray  for  their  soul  eyes  to  be  opened, 
so  that  they  can  see  the  way  to  where  the  western  cross 
points  the  road  to  heaven.  They  sit  oftenest  in  the  ani- 
mals because  flesh  and  blood  seem  natural  to  them, 
and  it  is  warmer.  The  animals  are  hospitable,  and  do 
not  mind  much,  poor  things.  But  the  souls  of  plants, 
they  are  pure  and  have  no  stain  upon  them  ;  and  those 
of  the  hikoris  are  virginal  like  the  Madonna  and  the 
saintly  women  the  priest  teaches  us  about.  The  hikoris 
are  so  very  pure  that  they  can  bear  no  sin  or  wrong- 
doing in  their  presence." 

"What  do  the  wonderful  hikoris  look  like?  Could 
that  be  one  growing  over  there?  " 

"  Oh,  no  ;  what  a  queer  mistake  !  That  is  only  a  baby 
pitaya.  The  hikoris  grow  far  to  the  east,  to  be  closer  to 
the  heavens  of  the  pure  unborn,  and  gaze  on  the  morn- 
ing cross.  They  sing  quite  loud  to  cheer  the  baby 
spirits  on  their  way  to  the  waiting  earth-mothers.  There 
are  big  and  little  hikoris.  I  wonder  which  the  baby 
spirits  like  best ;  the  little  ones,  like  themselves,  or  the 
great  strong  ones  that  are  feared  by  men?  The  braves 
travel  days  and  days  to  fetch  them.  Those  who  go 
must  be  purified  first,  and  keep  pure  on  the  way.  They 
must  travel  fast,  eating  sparingly.  It  is  often  nearly  a 

109 


moon  before  they  get  to  the  place  in  the  Sierra  Margosa 
where  the  best  hikoris  grow.  When  there,  they  eat 
only  pinole ;  for  are  they  not  there  to  chew  the  sacred 
hikori?  They  chew  with  great  devotion,  so  that  the 
second  day  the  spirit  of  the  chewed  hikori  goes  up  into 
the  head  and  chases  out  all  the  bad  thoughts  which  have 
been  there.  It  kills,  too,  the  charms  of  the  bad  shamen 

and  robbers  they  may  have 
angered,  and  makes  the 
chewer  strong  against  the 
Apaches.  Sometimes  the 
braves  cut  their  hair  so  as 
to  let  the  old  dead  thoughts 
out,  and  the  faster  to  make 
ready  for  the  new  ones. 
But  that  does  harm  if  one 
THE  BISMOGA  CACTUS.  A  neglects  to  have  a  cloth  pre- 

HIKORI.  J    i.        ,-•        ^      U^1  ^U 

pared  to  tie  tightly  over  the 

head ;  for  the  good  thoughts  might  run  out  too,  as  fast 
as  the  old  ones,  and  in  their  place  bad  thoughts,  which 
have  no  home,  come  to  nest  like  birds  of  ill  omen  in 
the  empty  head.  My  master,  tell  me  truly,  when  I 
begin  to  learn  all  the  many  new  things  in  the  land  of 
the  white  men,  do  you  think  I  shall  have  to  cut  off  my 
hair  to  let  out  the  dusky  useless  thoughts  of  the  Sierra 
Madre,  and  wear  a  close  cloth  about  my  brow  for  fear 
the  beautiful  new  ones  will  run  through  my  stupid  head, 
leaving  no  memory?" 

The  Scientist  frowned  and  said,  "  Why  talk  about  the 
land  of  the  white  man?  That  is  an  old  tale.  Tell  me 
more  about  the  Indians." 

While  listening  to  the  child's  stories  illustrative  of  the 
pantheism  of  her  people,  he  had  almost  forgotten  the 

no 


object  of  their  journey,  and  he  resented  the  reference  to 
his  promise. 

"What  more?  "  submissively  questioned  the  girl. 

"  Tell  me  if  the  women  go  after  the  hikoris  as  well  as 
the  men?  " 

"Of  course  not;  the  souls  of  many  hikoris  loathe 
women ;  and  no  woman  is  allowed  to  touch  the  very 
best.  Some  she  dares  not  even  look  at.  But  there 
are  the  roakoros ;  they  can  touch  them  if  told  to  by  the 
shaman.  You  know  the  roakoros  are  the  women  who 
live  with  the  medicine-men  and  serve  them  in  nursing 
the  sick  and  preparing  for  ceremonies.  The  medicine- 
man tells  his  roakoros  to  pound  the  ceremonial  hikori 
in  a  sacred  mortar,  and  then  they  mix  it  with  water.  It 
is  hard  work ;  they  must  not  spill  a  drop,  and  the  stone, 
too,  must  be  washed  and  the  water  saved ;  for  the  medi- 
cine-men say  the  water  is  as  holy  as  that  prepared  by 
our  priest.  Hikori  wine  is  made  in  that  way.  He  is 
strong,  oh,  so  strong.  The  medicine-men  can  drink  of 
him,  and  some  of  the  braves  can  drink  of  him,  and 
sometimes  they  let  the  women  take  a  little  of  him,  too ; 
but  he  who  is  profane,  and  forgets  to  sing  and  dance 
after  drinking  of  him,  falls  in  a  chill ;  for  the  hikori  loves 
song !  He  loves  it  so  that  when  the  washing  and  brew- 
ing has  begun  none  may  pause  or  rest  from  singing, 
unless  another  strikes  two  sticks  together  all  the  time ; 
for  the  hikori  glories  in  the  sound  of  the  pestle  as  it 
thuds  the  mortar  with- a  will,  and  the  hikori  sings  a  song 
of  its  own  in  answer  while  the  juice  flows.  The  hikori's 
voice  has  the  sound  of  a  cock  singing  before  the  sunrise, 
and  the  men  try  to  make  the  same  sound  when  they 
dance  before  him  ;  but  as  the  women  cannot,  the  hikoris 
care  not  for  the  song  of  women.  The  hikoris  love  the 

in 


song  of  the  dance-rattle  made  of  the  native  gourds. 
They  say  it  is  very  beautiful  to  feel  the  hikori  wine  go 
to  the  brain,  and  see  the  visions  which  are  sent  to  the 
drinker  make  them  feel  like  a  god.  In  the  white  man's 
land  is  there  a  drink  like  that  of  which  women  can  take 
but  a  little,  while  the  men  drink  oft  and  much,  until  they 
feel  its  fire  in  their  hearts  and  heads?  " 

"  Never  mind  about  the  drink.  Tell  me  more  about 
the  virtue  in  the  hikoris,"  insisted  the  Scientist.  "  Surely, 
the  Christians  do  not  believe  in  the  magic  power  of  this 
strange  plant !  " 

"Hush!  have  I  not  told  you  to  speak  prudently? 
Why,  one  of  the  servants  of  the  hikoris  might  hear  you, 
and  report  it  to  your  ill,  if  he  did  you  no  immediate  harm. 
They  are  everywhere."  The  girl  looked  about  her 
anxiously,  as  though  she  expected  to  see  an  angry  ap- 
parition materialize  before  her. 

"  When  a  person  is  ill,"  she  went  on,  "  the  medicine- 
man calls  upon  Walula-seliami,  who  is  the  greatest  of  all 
the  hikoris.  His  throne  is  upon  a  great  big  sacred  grass- 
seed,  as  big  as  the  biggest  mountain.  It  is  the  kind  of 
seed  of  which  we  make  necklaces  for  the  girls  and 
babies.  We  put  it,  too,  in  strong  drinks ;  for  it  has  the 
spirit  in  it  which  gives  the  strength  to  the  maize-water. 
This  wonderful  throne  of  the  greatest  of  all  hikoris  is  set 
just  beside  that  of  God  himself.  Walula-seliami  looks 
something  like  his  lesser  brother,  the  Wanami,  and  he 
has  many  young  ones  about  his  feet;  just  as  the  priest 
says,  the  faithful  and  pure  will  be  gathered  some  day 
beneath  the  mercy-seat  of  God.  All  the  other  hikoris 
are  Walula-seliami's  servants  ;  and  for  food  he  must  have 
the  best  of  meats  and  much  thereof.  When  the  medi- 
cine-man kneels  down  and  goes  through  the  proper 

I  12 


CUCUBITA   PALMATA,   THE   GOURD. 


8T 


ceremonial  and  sacrifices,  and  the  smoke  of  the  burning 
copal  incense  goes  up  high,  high  in  the  heavens  looking 
like  a  blue  ribbon  let  down  to  earth  by  the  God,  then 
it  is  a  sign ;  and  he  sends  his  servants  with  relief  to  the 
sick  man,  and  many  blessings  to  him  and  all  his  pious 
relatives.  They  are  richly  dressed,  these  servants,  and 
very  noble  in  appearance,  like,  like  —  you.  O  my 
master,  are  you  not  at  least  a  servant  of  the  Gods  ?  " 
exclaimed  the  girl,  looking  at  him  with  an  expression 
of  intense  earnestness. 

But  as  the  white  man  answered  nothing,  after  a  pause 
she  went  on.  "  If  his  soul  be  really  clean,  then  the  man 
is  surely  cured,  and  can  remain  alive  for  a  season ;  but 
if  the  soul  is  impure,  and  he  has  not  repented,  but  wants 
to  live  for  gain,  then  he  must  go  out  and  roam  about 
with  the  coyotes,  while  his  flesh  withers  away  in  his 
death-hut,  alone  on  the  mountain  side.  Another  hikori 
helps  the  dead  best ;  and  with  that,  and  many  prayers 
and  dances,  the  road  to  and  beyond  the  western  cross 
becomes  easy  to  the  spirit  of  the  dead." 

"  But  all  that  is  for  the  heathen;  surely  the  Christians 
do  not  believe  in  the  power  of  hikoris?" 

"Why  not?  Is  not  God  everywhere?  Of  course  the 
Christians  have  their  hikoris,  too.  We  could  not  do 
without  it.  It  is  white  like  the  Christian's  Saviour.  It 
is  called  Rosa-para,  and  it  has  been  given  them  as  a 
charm  against  the  Apaches.  Only  people  with  clean 
hands  and  pure  hearts,  who  have  been  well  baptized  by 
the  priest,  can  safely  touch  it ;  and  no  robber  can  harm 
the  storehouse  in  which  it  rests,  or  the  Christian  who 
carries  it  about  him. 

"  Nulato  is  another  very  good  hikori.  To  carry  it  is 
even  better  than  to  wash  the  eyes  with  holy  water  to 

114 


open  them  to  perceive  the  sorcerer  who  has  cunningly 
hid  himself,  and  lurks  about  with  evil  intent.  It  gives 
speed  to  the  runner,  too ;  and  if  a  man  be  very  careful 
to  guard  it,  he  insures  to  himself  thereby  a  long,  long  life. 
Oh,  look !  we  can  see  our  mountains  already.  How 
long  I  must  have  talked  !  My  master  will  call  me  a 
magpie  !  " 

"  No,  not  a  magpie ;  but  a  very  wise  little  Indian 
maiden.  But  tell  me  if  you  know  anything  more  about 
these  strange  vegetable  fetiches?" 

Ampharita  protested  that  she  had  told  him  all  she 
knew;  but  that  her  father  and  mother  could  tell  him 
much  more,  for  what  she  could  tell  she  had  learned  by 
hearsay,  picked  up  while  listening  to  the  talk  of  others ; 
for  her  parents  were  very  true  Christians,  and  had  faith 
in  the  holy  water,  the  prayers  and  pictures  from  the 
priest,  and  brought  their  children  up  very  strictly,  al- 
though they  attended  always  when  there  were  feasts 
with  story-telling.  She  said  she  could  tell  him  many 
wonderful  things  about  the  saints,  if  he  wished  to 
know ;  for  with  the  priest  as  with  the  Scientist  who  had 
succeeded  him  in  the  cactus  hut,  Ampharita  had  waited 
upon  the  tribe's  guest ;  and  the  priest  had  been  just  as 
much  attracted  by  her  intelligence  and  gentleness  as  the 
younger  man,  and  had  taken  great  pains  in  instructing 
her,  so  that  she  knew  more  about  the  Christian  religion, 
as  taught  by  the  native  priests,  than  many  of  the  older 
Pimas. 

"  The  good  Father  tells  me  it  is  very  stupid  to  believe 
that  plants  understand  things,  and  talks  so  that  he 
makes  me  quite  ashamed.  Still,  it  is  not  long  before  I 
am  happy  again ;  for  I  like  to  think  of  them  as  having 
souls,"  she  said.  "  One  day,  when  I  asked  him,  he 


could  not  explain  to  me  why  the  Holy-Cross-tree,  the 
wood  of  which  served  for  the  Saviour's  cross,  should 
have  its  trunk  covered  with  brown  crosses,  unless  it 
had  known  the  wonderful  purpose  it  had  served.  Oh, 
the  plants  are  very  wise,  and  they  are  so  pretty.  They 
do  us  and  the  animals  so  much  good ;  they  must  know 
what  a  blessing  they  are,  or  they  would  not  try  to  come 

up  in  the  water  and  in 
every  little  handful  of  soil, 
and  even  seek  to  live  on 
the  desert  sand.  Should 
we  not  all  die  if  we  were 

CARPOCARPSA   SALTITANS,   JUMPING 

BEANS  deprived  of  the  nopal  and 

the    corn    and    mesquite 

beans,  the  Chili  coyote,  and  all  the  other  delicious 
things  that  the  plants  give  us  to  make  us  strong  and 
happy?  It  is  so  sad  that  much  that  does  good  does 
also  harm.  Look  how  the  dear  cows  and  patient  oxen, 
when  enraged,  gore  or  trample  upon  their  masters ! 
The  dogs  bite,  and  can  even  make  one  mad ;  the 
cocks  fight,  killing  each  other  for  wantonness ;  and 
some  of  the  most  beautiful  plants  have  very  evil 
spirits,  so  that  while  they  give  life  and  strength  with 
their  harmless  berries,  the  wicked  spirit  in  their  sap 
seeks  to  kill  by  getting  into  the  blood.  There  is  the 
palo  de  flecha,  for  instance,  that  is  a  plant  that  seems 
all  evil.  How  it  makes  one  suffer  !  At  the  touch  of  its 
sap  sores  smart,  and  the  eyes  weep  and  close.  Its  bark- 
kills  the  beautiful  darting  fish ;  yet  the  same  stalk  gives 
life  to  certain  lovely  things.  Its  miraculous  beans  jump 
about  so  merrily  because  they  are  the  huts  of  baby  but- 
terflies, who  are  fed  by  them,  and  nurtured  tenderly 
until  they  are  old  enough  to  cast  off  their  swaddling- 

TT6 


clothes  and  spread  their  wings,  when  a  little  door 
opens,  and  they  wriggle  forth  as  would  a  lively  child, 
glad  to  be  free.  It  does  not  take  them  long  to  spread 
their  bright  wings  and  fly  about  like  golden  blessings  in 
the  sunshine." 

The  Scientist  was  amazed.  During  this  last  discourse 
they  had  rested  beneath  a  mesquite-tree  near  an  old 
well,  which  might  have  been  dug  by  the  early  mission- 
ary fathers.  Ampharita  sped  back  and  forth,  culling  an 
example  here  or  there  of  Nature's  products  which  she 
thought  would  interest  him,  because  of  the  virtue  or 
viciousness  ascribed  to  it  by  the  Indians.  The  Scientist 
had  lost  all  desire  to  continue  the  journey.  What  a 
phenomenal  power  of  observation  the  child  had ;  how 
keen  was  her  discernment !  Her  comments  in  answer 
to  his  questions  about  the  customs  of  her  people  showed 
her  to  be  rarely  observant  and  appreciative.  She 
seemed  remarkably  in  tune  with  Nature,  and  as  familiar 
with  its  secrets  as  the  gods  and  goddesses  of  ancient 
Greece,  —  a  russet  woodland  nymph  so  slightly  evolved 
out  of  a  hamadryad  that  her  skin  had  not  yet  lost  the 
color  of  the  bark.  While  thinking  of  her,  he  became 
oblivious  to  her  presence ;  and  as  the  hour  was  the  hot- 
test of  the  day,  the  girl  drew  drowzy,  hearkening  to  the 
buzz  and  hum  of  the  myriad  insects  that  swarmed  about 
the  ripening  beans.  She  fell  asleep,  her  head  resting 
against  the  arm  which  she  had  passed  between  it  and 
the  gnarled  trunk  of  the  tree. 

A  soft  sigh  escaped  her,  and  he  looked  at  her  again. 
She  seemed  an  incorporation  of  virgin  Nature  in  its  most 
graceful  form. 

He  started  to  his  feet,  and  approached  her  on  the 
point  of  arousing  her  to  tell  her  he  knew  not  what. 

117 


Again  she  sighed  and  smiled.  He  stopped  and  fixed 
his  eyes  upon  her  in  wondering  awe,  for  before  him  her 
pure  soul  seemed  unveiled. 

She  might  be  dreaming,  for  her  sweet  lips  moved 
softly,  while  over  her  delicate  features  crept  a  radiance 
which  transfigured  her  face.  Before  its  brightness  his 
selfish  thoughts  melted  away  like  shadows  at  midday. 
Again  he  thought  of  the  inspired  Egyptian  anchorites, 
and  he  stood  spellbound,  watching  her.  Gradually  the 
radiance  faded  as  fades  the  light  of  dawn  before  the 
awaking  day.  She  seemed  to  become  subtly  aware  of 
his  gaze  as  the  strange  light  was  re-absorbed  by  her 
features.  When  it  was  all  gone,  she  opened  her  eyes 
and  looked  into  his. 

"  Oh,  see  !  "  she  exclaimed,  starting  up,  "  what  a  lazy 
child  I  am !  The  heat  and  chanting  insects  lulled  me 
to  sleep.  Hark!  What  is  that?  Do  you  not  hear  the 
call  of  the  paesano?  Oh,  there  stands  the  pretty 
creature  near  that  hut  of  saccaton  grass.  His  wife  can- 
not be  far  distant ;  but  she  is  too  shy  to  show  her 
brightly  painted  eyes.  Hey !  See,  he  is  not  afraid  of 
us,  or  perhaps  there  are  young  at  home  to  be  fed,  and 
there  are  fat  beetles  or  scorpions  here  that  attract  him. 
He  can  see  them  from  ever  so  far.  They  hide  beneath 
dry  wood  and  stones.  Let  us  help  him,"  and  rising 
with  a  quick  movement,  she  pushed  aside  a  stone,  from 
beneath  which  scampered  away  two  frightened  scor- 
pions, while  the  bird  ran  fleetly  after  them  and,  nipping 
off  a  leg,  gazed  about  for  his  mate,  with  whom  he  ex- 
pected to  share  the  feast. 

The  charm  was  broken.  Ampharita  was  again  a 
simple  Indian  girl. 

The  Scientist  remounted  his  horse,  and  as  the  girl 

118 


TI9 


moved  along  beside  him,  his  critical  glance  roved  over 
her  rich,  dark  skin,  her  bare  arms,  coarse  black  hair, 
and  lithe  figure ;  then  he  looked  lower  to  where  her 
dust-stained  feet  sped  along  the  trail. 

His  features  grew  composed.  She  was  a  child  of 
the  desert.  As  easily  cage  with  success  the  beautiful 
chaparral  cock,  and  expect  him  to  thrive  between  gilded 
wires  and  grow  large  and  lustrous  on  rape  and  hemp 
seed. 

"  The  tame  fawn  is  devoted  to  its  master,"  he  mused ; 
"  yet  none  would  be  so  cruel  as  to  enclose  it  within 
doors  where  even  in  loving  it  wrould  pine  away  and  die. 
Ampharita  must  stay  in  the  shadow  of  the  Sierra 
Madre,  whether  she  will  or  no. — The  day  advances, 
Ampharita,"  he  continued  aloud.  "  We  must  hasten  ;  " 
suiting  the  action  to  the  word  he  gave  spur  to  his  horse, 
and  rode  forward  silently,  pressing  the  animal's  pace  to 
a  lope.  The  girl  began  to  run,  her  hair  streaming  out 
behind  her  as  she  sped  fleetly  along. 

From  the  waste  land  the  urchins  who  were  scudding 
hither  and  thither  in  wild  excitement,  soon  perceived 
a  man  coming  along  on  horseback  with  a  girl  running 
to  keep  up  with  him. 

Ampharita's  brother  recognized  the  party,  and  hur- 
ried forward  to  greet  them. 

"  Hey,  hey,  Ampharita,  you  did  well  to  fetch  your 
master  back,"  he  hallooed  from  a  distance.  "  There  are 
great  doings  in  the  village.  The  Chief  has  ordered 
the  feast  of  thanksgiving  for  the  crops  to  take  place  this 
very  night.  Another  great  chief  has  come  up  to  see 
him  from  the  south,  and  has  brought  his  fast  runners 
with  him.  You  have  gotten  here  just  in  time  to  see 
the  race.  There  will  be  a  sacred  dance  afterwards. 

1 20 


Hurry,  hurry,  master  !  Whew  !  our  Chief  will  be  glad 
to  show  you  to  the  other  chief!  However  did  you 
guess,  Ampharita,  that  they  were  coming?  They  did  not 
reach  the  pueblo  until  two  hours  after  you  had  gone,  and 
though  our  Chief  pretended  that  he  had  been  expecting 
them  all  along,  father  said  to  our  neighbor  that  he 
looked  very  much  surprised  when  he  heard  they  wrere 
coming  along  the  trail.  Even  the  shaman  was  sur- 
prised !  I  can't  think  how  you  found  out  about  them." 

The  boy  puffed  in  his  endeavor  to  keep  pace  with 
the  pony  while  talking,  and  he  panted  so  fiercely,  and 
looked  so  distressed,  that  the  Scientist  took  pity  upon 
him,  and  bid  him  mount  behind  him. 

"  Whew  !  this  is  better,"  exclaimed  the  voluble  youth. 
"I   say,   Ampharita,   why    did  you  slip  off  so  quietly? 
The   mother    and    grandmother  w7ere  very  cross   when 
they  found  you  had  gone  off, 
with  all   these    strangers    and 
extra  work  coming  up    right 
after,  too  !     There  was  a  great 
commotion.      They    had     no 
one  to   help  them,  and  made 
me ;   I  kicked  and  cuffed  and  NATIVE  SPURS 

said    I    would  n't.      Think    of 

the  oldest  boy  of  our  family  helping  to  grind  and 
boil  the  sprouted  corn;  while  Ismo  went  for  the 
grass-seed  for  the  ba-ta-like  !  Ugh  !  what  a  time  we 
had  working !  I  cried  when  none  was  looking,  I  was 
so  ashamed  of  doing  girl's  work  when  the  stranger 
braves  might  come  by  and  see  me  any  moment ;  but  none 
came  near  our  kitchen-ring  that  I  could  see,  for  I  hid  well 
beneath  the  wind-blown  saccaton,  where  I  could  not  be 
seen  from  the  opening.  We  got  it  all  finished  before 

121 


sundown,  and  the  jars  are  quite  full  now  waiting  for  the 
feast.  Hey,  if  the  racers  do  not  run  soon,  and  it  does 
not  get  drunk  up,  the  jars  will  begin  to  split.  We 
boys  are  watching  mighty  close  so  that  much  need 
not  be  wasted.  Think,  hey !  before  the  men  get  at  it. 
How  glorious  to  drink  all  the  ba-ta-like !  " 

There  was  a  pause,  the  Scientist  felt  again  the  strange 
oppression,  and  the  presence  of  the  garrulous  boy,  who 
he  strongly  suspected  had  already  tasted  a  large  sample 
of  the  wonderful  ba-ta-like,  did  not  entertain  him  as 
much  as  he  had  hoped. 

"  The  runners  are  fine,"  the  boy  continued,  when  he 
perceived  that  no  one  answered  him.  "  There  is  one 
man  among  them  who,  they  say,  ran  once  from  midday 
to  sunrise  without  stopping.  I  tell  you  what,  those 
Tarahumari  are  a  swift-looking  set ;  they  won't  let  any 
one  touch  them ;  but  we  boys  measured  their  shadows, 
and  they  are  bigger  every  way  than  those  of  our  own  men. 
Our  medicine-man  has  been  working  all  night  with  our 
runners  to  get  them  fit,  and  see  that  the  Tarahumari 
Shaman  does  not  conjure  them." 

"  I  wish  the  priest  were  near,"  observed  Ampharita, 
who  had  been  listening  attentively.  "  Then  there  would 
be  no  fear  of  heathen  conjuring." 

"  I  expect  our  medicine-man  knows  his  business,  and 
can  do  for  them,"  exclaimed  the  boy,  loftily;  "  the  bets 
are  high ;  I  never  saw  so  many  things  together.  Can't 
you  hear  the  oxen  and  cows  lowing?  Father  has  bet 
all  the  new  blankets  that  granny  and  Ampharita  wove 
during  the  last  rainy, season,  and  all  of  Ampharita's 
things  too.  As  she  had  gone  away  he  thought  them  of 
no  use  for  us,  and  the  easiest  thing  to  bet.  You  'd 
better  go  and  see  about  them,  Ampharita." 

122 


"  Never  mind  my  things,"  said  the  girl,  indifferently. 

"  Mother  cried  when  he  said  that  as  Ampharita  had 
gone,  it  was  no  use  keeping  her  things,  and  only  stopped 
when  he  said  they  might  win  enough  clothes  for  her  and 
the  rest  of  the  children  to  dress  like  the  Chiefs  squaws 
and  smart  young  sons.  I  think  mother  sets  a  heap  of 
store  by  you,  Ampharita;  when  she  sees  you  again 
she  will  be  so  happy  you  can  beg  from  her  what  you 
will." 

"You  see,  my  master,"  whispered  Ampharita,  "I 
told  you  they  understood  where  I  had  gone  to,  and  we 
could  journey  away  to  the  white  man's  land  without 
coming  back  first  to  ask  permission." 

"  Ay,  but  you  would  have  lost  the  feast !  "  interposed 
the  brother.  "  However  did  you  learn  about  that,  Am- 
pharita? You  have  not  told  me  yet." 

"  Never  mind,"  she  said,  "  you  always  know  much  more 
than  others,  and  I  wonder  you  do  not  know  this  also. 
You  pretend  to  know  too  much  for  a  boy  who  has  not 
seen  more  rainy  seasons." 

"  I  am  no  boy,  I  am  a  lad.  In  three  years  I  shall  be 
a  runner  myself.  I  can  shoot  farther  than  any  of  the 
others  who  are  not  braves.  Ay,  look,  look,  they  are 
about  to  start !  Quick,  master !  "  and  the  boy  kicked 
the  pony's  haunches  so  vigorously  that  the  animal  broke 
into  a  gallop,  and  disappeared  with  its  double  burden 
in  the  direction  of  the  race-ground,  where  the  whole 
tribe  was  assembled,  while  Ampharita  hastened  into 
the  village  to  assist  her  mother  in  preparing  for  the 
feast. 

When  the  pony  reached  the  race-course  the  Scientist 
felt  himself  carried  away  by  the  enthusiasm  of  the  crowd. 
A  thousand  dark  eyes  flashed,  brown  arms  gesticulated 

123 


with   unwonted  energy,  brilliant-colored  draperies  flut- 
tered in  the  sunlight ;  all  was  spirited  commotion. 

The  two  head  runners  of  the  contending  parties  stood 
ready,  each  with  a  wooden  ball  which  was  to  be  driven 
before  the  competitors.  One  leader  wore  a  white  head- 
band, while  that  of  the  other  was  red  ;  and  the  balls  were 
painted  to  match.  Behind  them  their  assistants  stood 
in  line  with  dilated  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ball,  and  every 
muscle  taut,  ready  for  the  start.  The  runners'  legs  were 
painted  with  elaborate  zig-zag  lines,  to  make  them  run 


MESQUITK   FOOTBALLS. 

the  faster.  The  course  had  been  marked  out  upon  the 
lower  plateau,  whence  the  crops  had  been  gathered  ;  and 
the  women  who  could  get  away  from  their  household 
duties  stood  along  the  sides,  as  anxious  and  excited  as 
the  meri  and  children. 

Yet  every  one  waited,  and  none  dared  move  or  talk,  for 
the  medicine-men  were  still  mumbling  over  their  respec- 
tive fires,  burning  copal  incense  in  the  direction  of  the 
athletes,  and  chanting  powerful  incantations.  The  wives 
and  female  relatives  of  the  competitors  were  stationed 
along  the  course,  with  refreshments  for  the  men  of  their 
side.  The  boys  had  clambered  into  the  few  sparse 
mesquite-trees,  so  as  to  spy  out  the  balls  should  they 
fall  amid  the  long,  tangled  grass. 

124 


The  Chief  awaited  the  word  from  the  medicine-men, 
and  when  he  received  it,  he  gave  the  long-expected 
signal,  and,  with  a  mighty  shout  from  the  assembled 
people,  off  the  men  went,  catching  the  wooden  ball  upon 
their  toes  and  casting  it  forward,  with  sure  aim  and 
great  dexterity.  Twice,  thrice  around  the  course  they 
worked  their  way,  while  all  the  men  hallooed  themselves 
hoarse,  and  the  women  flew  after  their  heroes,  throwing 
warm  water  over  their  strained  loins  and  heaving  chests. 
The  boys  screamed,  the  dogs  barked,  and  pandemonium 
seemed  let  loose  upon  the  plateau. 

The  Pima  chieftain  called  in  vain  for  order  and 
silence.  His  people  were  too  excited  to  listen.  He 
felt  personally  responsible  for  the  maintenance  of  good 
order  throughout  the  affair,  and  made  many  excuses  to 
his  chief  guests,  which  were  graciously  accepted.  The 
Tarahumari  felt  that  the  honor  of  his  tribe  was  also 
involved  ;  and  so  many  bets  were  up  that  he  could  not 
allow  the  race  to  be  called  off,  as  sometimes  occurred 
when  the  hubbub  engendered  disputes,  or  one  of  the 
balls  was  accidentally  lost,  or  purposely  hidden. 

After  about  two  hours  and  a  half  the  ball  of  the  vic- 
torious runners  shot  past  the  starting  point  for  the  last 
time. 

The  Pimas  had  won,  and,  strange  to  say,  the  Tarahu- 
mari, despite  the  long  consultation  which  ensued  be- 
tween their  medicine-men  and  the  chief,  did  not  pick 
a  flaw  in  the  proceeding.  During  the  discussion  they 
looked  frequently  in  the  direction  of  the  white  man,  who 
was  congratulating  the  Pima  leader,  and  their  ruffled 
pride  was  evidently  soothed  by  the  thought  that  the 
celebrated  white  medicine-man  had  lived  long  among 
their  adversaries,  and  so  perforce  had  given  them  the 

125 


secret  of  success.  They  graciously  accepted  the  Pima 
Chief's  invitation  to  tarry  over  the  feast  and  see  some 
of  the  "  wonderful  white  man's  miracles,"  as  the  Pimas 
termed  the  Scientist's  simple  juggling  tricks;  and  the 
managers  of  the  wagers  proceeded  to  distribute  them 
to  the  individual  backers  of  the  successful  side. 


MESQUITE  BEANS   AND   BEETLES. 


126 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  And  Lancelot  answered,  '  Nay,  the  world,  the  world 
All  ear  and  eye,  with  such  a  stupid  heart 
To  interpret  ear  and  eye,  and  such  a  tongue 
To  blare  its  own  interpretation,  —  nay, 
Full  ill  then  should  I  quit  your  brother's  love.' 

" '  This  is  not  love,  but  love's  first  flash  in  youth, 
Most  common;  yea  I  know  it  of  mine  own  self  : ' 

"...  her  father ;  '  Ay,  a  flash, 
I  fear  me,  that  will  strike  my  blossom  dead.'  " 

THE  Chief  desired  to  impress  upon  his  visitors  the 
wealth  of  his  tribe,  and  had  promised  especial  favors  to 
those  who  should  excel  in  ostentation.  Early  on  the 
feast  day,  therefore,  within  the  pueblo,  sheep,  oxen,  and 
goats  had  been  slaughtered  with  great  ceremony  in  the 
presence  of  the  guests  ;  and  fresh  meat  was  simmering  in 
enormous  pots  upon  bright  fires  in  every  kitchen-ring. 

A  great  beating  and  patting  was  going  on  upon  the 
grooved  stones,  where  the  tortillas  and  tomales  were 
rolled.  The  women  repeated  little  couplets,  which 
were  to  act  as  charms  and  add  to  the  success  and  flavor 
of  the  cooking.  None  of  the  boys  had  been  seen  since 
the  race  was  announced,  and  the  arrival  of  Ampharita 
was  a  godsend  to  her  overworked  mother  and 
grandam. 

127 


She  told  them,  between  errands  to  the  storehouse  and 
water-course,  what  had  occurred  at  the  ranch;  and  they 
rejoiced  with  her  that  her  heart's  desire  would  be  ac- 
complished. Thereafter,  the  two  women  busied  them- 
selves with  renewed  energy  to  make  their  contributions 
to  the  feast  especially  rich.  Had  they  not  a  double 
reason  for  thanksgiving?  The  harvest  had  been  plenti- 
ful, and  they  were  possessed  of  a  secret  store  of  goods 
with  which  the  stranger  had  paid  for  their  services. 
Besides,  Ampharita  had  announced  that  he,  this  great- 
est of  all  shamen,  was  about  to  take  her  with  him  to  the 
marvellous  land  beyond  all  the  waters,  —  the  land  of 
the  Eastern  Cross,  the  land  that  was  close  to  Heaven,  if 
not  Heaven  itself.  There  she  would  learn  more  than  any 
of  the  roakoros  had  ever  dreamed  of;  oh,  a  hundred- 
fold more  than  the  wisest  of  the  native  medicine-men 
could  teach.  And  when  she  returned,  the  Chief  and  even 
the  priest,  who  had  never  been  out  of  Mexico,  would  bow 
down  to  her;  and  she  would  be  a  queen  among  them, 
and  with  or  without  the  white  man,  she  would  be  more 
mighty  than  the  far  away  White  Chief  of  all  the  land 
between  the  two  waters,  of  whom  they  had  once  or 
twice  heard  tell  by  returned  hikori  hunters.  Ampharita 
would  not  have  to  work.  For  the  travelled  hikori 
men  when  they  returned  never  worked,  but  lived  by 
acting  as  interpreters,  between  races  and  tribes,  as 
managers  of  wagers,  as  go-betweens  in  large  exchanges 
of  cattle  and  land,  as  story-tellers,  and  even  as  medicine- 
men. 

Thus  the  mother  and  grandam  talked  together  in 
low  tones,  while  the  pile  of  edibles  grew  in  volume  be- 
neath their  energetic  hands.  The  sun  was  sinking,  the 
sound  of  the  racers  approaching  the  goal  could  be  heard, 

128 


AT  THE   STORE-HOUSE. 


129 


when  Ampharita,  rising  from  the  kneeling  position  which 
she  had  kept  for  hours,  behind  the  tortilla  stone, 
stretched  her  arms  heavenward,  with  a  little  contented 
sigh,  and  asked  her  mother  how  soon  the  ceremonial 
dance  was  to  begin. 

"  When  the  evening  star  touches  the  western  mount," 
the  Indian  woman  answered.  "  Let  us  hasten.  The 
Chief  has  decreed  that  the  feast  be  grand,  but  last  not 
long.  It  is  to  secure  for  us  much  respect  and  noise,  but 
be  over  quickly,  like  the  shot  from  the  white  man's  fire- 
arm. The  guests  come  from  afar  and  their  runners  are 
tired.  They  will  rest,  and  go  to-morrow  northward." 

Ismo  here  arrived  to  tell  about  the  race,  and  was 
pressed  into  the  service  of  putting  the  three-years-old 
child  to  sleep.  He  rebelled,  but  to  no  purpose,  being 
silenced  with  the  conclusive  argument  —  no  work,  no 
feast. 

The  oldest  boy  soon  followed  from  the  race-ground, 
wild  with  joy  over  the  result  of  the  race,  and  accent- 
uating it  by  tooting  discordantly  upon  a  wonderful 
flageolet  he  had  won  from  a  friend  on  a  private  wager ; 
for  he  was  not  old  enough  to  be  allowed  to  take  public 
part  in  the  betting. 

He  described  the  race  graphically;  but  Ampharita 
could  give  him  but  half  an  ear;  she  was  absorbed  in 
listening  for  the  approach  of  the  white  man.  It  had 
required  great  management  to  get  away  from  the  kitchen- 
ring  to  prepare  the  cactus  hut ;  then  the  unusual  mag- 
nitude of  the  feast  had  brought  into  requisition  all  the 
hoard  of  family  earthen-ware,  and  she  was  forced  to 
make  shift  for  water-jars  as  best  she  could,  by  transfer- 
ring whatever  she  dared  to  baskets. 

The  people  returned  to  the  village  by  groups,  and  the 

130 


confusion    increased.      Ampharita's    father   announced 
that  the  two  chieftains  were  playing  together  the  great 
gambling  game  of  Ghing-skoot,  as  the  head  of  the  Pimas 
wished    to    give    his    distinguished 
guest  a  chance  to  win  back  some 
of  his  lost  treasures. 

Ampharita  watched  eagerly  every 
group  that  passed,  but  the  Scientist 
did  not  appear.  He  had  gone  out 
upon  the  meza  to  tether  his  pony, 
and  look  after  its  food  and  water. 

A  m  p  h  a  r  i  t  a's    brother   at  last 
deigned  to   explain  this,  in  answer     GAME  OF  GHING.SKOOT. 
to  her  repeated  questions,  but  with- 
out removing  his  flute    from   his  lower  lip.      His   new 
toy  effectually  stemmed  his  usual  flow  of  chatter,  for 
the  explanation  was  couched  in  four  words,  "  horse  — 
meza  —  food — drink,"  punctuated  by  toots.     The  boys 
then  ran  off,  as  the  first  call  to  the  dancers  had  given 
the  signal  for  a  fresh  stampede,  for  this  announced  that 
the  procession  was  about  to  form   on  the  outskirts   of 
the  pueblo. 

The  porch  before  the  Chiefs  house  had  been  temporarily 
enlarged,  and  a  white  cross  erected  beneath  it.  Around 
this  blankets  were  spread,  ready  to  receive  the  oblations 
of  especially  prepared  food  and  drink,  which  were  to 
be  served  to  spirits  and  great  humans  during  the 
ceremony. 

The  women  began  to  arrive  with  small  ollas  of  chawcc, 
a  kind  of  liquor  made  by  baking  the  heart  of  an  especial 
variety  of  agave  beneath  the  ashes  for  two  or  three  days, 
and  then  squeezing  it  through  a  piece  of  cloth.  This  is 
a  great  luxury,  and  must  be  consumed  sparingly,  as  it  is 


extraordinarily  intoxicating  and  very  sweet.  Others 
brought  enormous  ollas  of  teswin,  and  ba-ta-like,  while 
others  carried  the  boiled  meats,  baskets  of  tomales  and 
tortillas  of  divers  colors  made  from  the  sacred  or  cere- 
monial corn. 

Two  men  of  stately  carriage  approached  and  seated 
themselves  near  the  fire  which  had  been  kindled  before 
the  cross  with  elaborate  ceremony  by  the  roakoros,  who 


GAME  OF  WA-PE-TAIKH-GUT. 

from  time  to  time  threw  fragrant  boughs  and  copal 
incense,  animal  fat,  cream  or  liquor  upon  the  flames,  so 
that  they  flared  and  sputtered.  Each  man  was  provided 
with  a  flute,  a  drum,  and  a  fanciful  stick  with  which  to 
beat  upon  it.  The  women  placed  a  little  heap  of  glow- 
ing coals  within  reach  of  the  musicians,  who  warmed 
their  drums  upon  one  side  and  then  the  other,  and  struck 
them  gently  with  their  fingers  to  see  whether  they  were 
in  tune.  Each  man  planted  his  right  foot  firmly  on  the 
ground,  and  resting  the  right  elbow  on  his  knee,  raised 
the  flute  to  his  lips,  while  against  the  joint  of  the  knee 

132 


he  firmly  wedged  the  drum.  He  then  began  to  beat  a 
low  monotonous  cadence  with  the  stick  he  held  in  his 
left  hand,  the  flute  meanwhile  ringing  the  changes  of  the 
prelude  to  the  ceremonial  dance.  The  musicians  were 
destined  to  perform  alternately  throughout  the  evening, 
one  taking  up  the  strain  when  the  other  appeared  ex- 
hausted, or  his  drum  needed  re-tuning. 

A  noise  like  the  whir  and  hiss  of  a  score  of  angry 
rattlesnakes  began  at  the  end  of  the  village,  and  Am- 
pharita's  mother  ordered  her  to  join  the  other  maidens 
who  were  to  bring  up  the  rear  of  the  procession  of 
dancers,  and  wait  upon  the  dancing  women,  relieving 
them  of  their  babies  and  superfluous  garments.  The 
girl  cast  a  despairing  glance  in  the  direction  of  the 
cactus  hut;  her  master  had  not  yet  returned,  and  she 
knew  that  later  at  the  feast  he  would  sit  with  the  Chief 
and  his  distinguished  guests,  where  she  dared  not  ap- 
proach him. 

Her  sight  was  piercing,  and  as  she  walked  she  looked 
anxiously  to  right  and  left  along  the  way;  but  the 
Scientist  could  be  nowhere  descried,  either  among  the 

o 

fire  illumined  faces  near  the  kitchen-rings,  or  with 
the  moonlit  figures  that  moved  about  beyond  the 
circle  of  glow. 

The  awesome  medicine-men,  followed  by  the  young 
bucks  who  were  to  dance,  moved  slowly  down  the 
rough  irregular  space  between  the  houses.  It  was  the 
shaking  of  the  gourd  rattles  which  made  the  hissing 
noise.  A  little  behind  them  came  the  troop  of  dancing 
women,  while  the  heads  of  families,  the  Tarahumari 
and  the  chiefs  approached  from  the  opposite  direction, 
and  seated  themselves  upon  the  ground  beneath  the 
porch,  leaving  space  for  the  dancers  to  pass  between 

133 


them  and  the  oblations  that  surrounded  the    fire  and 
ceremonial  cross. 

When  the  chief  men  were  seated,  the  women   who 
were  not  dancing,  approached,  carrying  their  youngest 
children    in    their    arms    or    on    their    backs.      They 
formed  an  outer  ring,  squatting  upon  their 
feet.  The  Chief  arose,  and  a  hush  ensued  as  he 

solemnly  filled  a 
gourd  dipper  with 
native  beer,  and, 
turning  towards 
^_^^^  ^_  the  cast,  cast  the 


the 


DRUM   AND   MAGIC   FLUTE. 


libation   into 
air. 

A  burst  of  noise 
followed, — a  great  drumming  and  wild  rattling. 

The  Chief  filled  the  gourd  again,  and  poured  out  its 
contents  to  the  west  of  the  cross,  then  to  the  north,  and 
lastly  to  the  south. 

As  he  resumed  his  place,  the  dancers  shook  their 
rattles  upward  three  times,  and  began  to  tramp  around 
the  circle  in  time  to  the  cadence  of  their  rattles  and 
the  beating  of  the  drum.  The  clatter  of  the  seeds 
within  the  gourds  was  rhythmic  and  not  unmusical ;  and, 
as  they  went,  they  sang  a  very  ancient  sacred  song, 
which  seemed  a  medley  of  animal  noises,  with  a  chorus 
of  unmusical  cock  crows  and  hen  cackles,  which  to  the 
performers  and  their  audience  were  blood  stirring  and 
awe-inspiring. 

One  by  one,  the  older  Pimas,  after  watching  the 
dancers  for  a  few  minutes,  joined  the  circling  rattlers. 
Then  came  the  turn  of  the  married  women,  who,  becom- 
ing excited  by  the  song,  began  to  dance  also,  forming 

134 


a  large  ring  outside  of  the  shed  and  swaying  backward 
and  forward,  retreating,  breaking  apart,  and  forming 
the  line  in  a  not  ungraceful  measure.  Some  of  them 
carried  their  sleeping  babes  upon  their  backs,  and  the 
little  ones  were  aroused  by  the  jolting  and  cried  dis- 
mally, after  the  manner  of  disturbed  infants. 

The  children  who  were  not  old  enough  to  wait  upon 
the  guests  and  dancers  were  tolerated  at  the   festival  as 
spectators.     They   huddled   close   to- 
gether at  one  side   of  the   shed,  try- 
ing to  keep  awake,  but  as  the  evening 
advanced,  the  loudest  calls  ceased  to 
arouse   them,    and    they   fell    forward    TAN-WA,  GAMBLING 
upon  the  ground,  where  they  ran  the 
risk  of  being  trampled  upon  by  the  excited  performers, 
before  their  'mothers  noticed  them,  and,  picking  them 
up,  carried  them  off  to  the  huts,  where  they  tucked  them 
away  securely  beneath  warm  blankets. 

The  Scientist  was  much  diverted  by  all  he  saw ;  but 
he  felt  constrained  to  look  as  earnest  and  devout  as  the 
venerable  medicine-men.  This  dance  was  the  most 
solemn  function  of  the  tribe,  more  grand  and  varied 
than  any  of  the  feasts  he  had  witnessed  during  his  so- 
journ on  the  plateau.  It  had  been  originally  inspired 
and  instituted  by  the  beautiful  motive  of  pure  grateful- 
ness for  a  plentiful  harvest,  and  had  become  a  weird 
ceremony,  the  slightest  breach  of  which,  would  render 
the  whole  displeasing  to  the  bountiful  and  generous 
God  who  had  blessed  the  Indians'  fields  and  cattle,  and 
cause  Him  to  neglect  them  the  next  season. 

No  one  spoke  until  the  dance  was  over.  Corn- 
husk  cigarettes  were  circulated  throughout,  and  the 
two  chiefs,  the  old  men,  the  runners,  and  the  Scientist 

135 


smoked  continuously;  this,  too,  was  a  part  of  the 
ceremony. 

The  older  men  did  not  dance  long,  but  encouraged 
the  younger  ones  to  wilder  leaps  by  compliments,  and 
strove  to  excite  them  to  complicate  their  steps ;  for  cere- 
monial dancing  among  the  Indians  may  be  done  by 
proxy.  The  work  was  hard,  and  the  dancers  grew  tired 
and  breathless  in  imitating  the  movements  and  calls  of 
the  wild  animals.  These  calls  serve  as  an  invocation 
against  visits  of  beasts  of  prey ;  for  a  yelp  or  a  howl  de- 
voutly uttered  in  the  dance  is  sufficient  to  conjure  away 
the  animal  whose  voice  it  imitates,  while  the  bird  and 
fowl  notes  invoke  the  return  of  seasonable  blessings. 
The  soft  calls  of  the  nesting  birds  in  the  spring  were 
interspersed  by  the  dancers  with  words  intended  to  beg 
for  rain  in  due  season.  Next  came  those  of  the  frogs, 
with  words  assuring  a  copious,  well-regulated  down- 
pour. There  were  the  chirping  of  crickets  and  crowing 
of  the  cocks  for  the  period  of  sprouting  and  growing, 
when  the  spirits  water  the  earth  as  regularly  as  the 
cricket  chirps  and  the  cock  crows.  And  with  the 
thought  of  the  harvest  came  the  call  of  the  wild  turkey, 
who  is  considered  the  greatest  of  birds ;  for  does  he  not 
show  his  wisdom  by  coming  to  glean  the  ripe  grain?  and 
since  every  part  of  him  is  useful,  is  he  not  devoted  to 
man's  prosperity,  and  does  he  not  shun  the  regions 
where  crops  have  been  scant?  At  the  thought  of  the 
turkey  the  dancers  strutted  and  preened  themselves, 
while  uttering  realistic  gobbles  in  simulation  of  the 
gorged  and  satisfied  birds. 

Thus  the  dance  went  on  interminably.  The  monotony 
of  the  entertainment  began  to  bore  the  Scientist,  for 
after  the  first  half  hour  nothing  new  was  introduced;  he 

136 


THE   HARVEST    DANCE. 


137 


was  hungry  and  wanted  to  see  the  feasting  underway,  so 
as  to  finish  the  work  for  which  he  had  come  back.  He 
had  not  eaten  since  dawn ;  and  this  made  him  sensitive 
to  the  smoke  and  stench  beneath  the  shed.  Despite  the 
breach  of  etiquette  he  would  commit  by  retiring,  he 
was  seeking  for  an  excuse  to  do  so,  when  a  signal  from 
the  Chief  caused  the  musicians  to  stop  playing. 

The  dancers  at  once  lowered  their  rattles,  and  laid 
them  upon  the  blankets  as  they  passed,  and  filed 
down  to  the  lower  end  of  the  porch,  where  they  seated 
themselves. 

The  Chief  arose  and  presented  some  meat  and  corn- 
cakes  to  the  four  points  of  the  compass,  as  he  had  done 
with  the  beer.  Then  he  announced  that  the  good  God 
wished  the  people  to  feast  at  the  four  sides  of  the  cross, 
at  which  the  medicine-men  assured  them  of  the  good 
God's  blessing. 

Hereupon  the  Indians  forming  the  outer  ring  of  cele- 
brants dispersed,  and  seated  themselves  in  family  groups 
before  the  different  kitchen-rings,  while  the  Chief,  the 
old  men,  and  their  guests  were  waited  upon  by  the 
foremost  women  of  the  tribe.  Teswaina,  or  teswin,  and 
ba-ta-like  were  again  poured  out  toward  the  four  points 
of  the  compass.  The  platters  and  baskets  of  boiled 
meats,  tomales,  and  ceremonial  tortillas  were  passed 
around.  The  Chief  and  his  guests  were  served  first; 
then  the  remainder  of  the  assemblage,  according  to  the 
rank  of  their  families.  No  one  spoke,  for  all  were  intent 
upon  satisfying  their  hunger.  The  blessed  inspiration 
of  the  teswaina  came  as  a  good  omen  to  the  family  and 
the  tribe,  for  the  first  words  of  intoxication  would  be 
prophetic  of  the  future  harvest. 

Young  maidens  had  no  part  in  the  feast ;  and  Ampha- 

138 


rita  had  early  retired  with  her  grandmother  to  their 
distant  kitchen-ring,  and  helped  her  give  supper  to 
the  boys.  She  ate  but  sparingly  herself  of  the  meat 
and  maize,  and  hardly  touched  the  beer.  She  wanted 
to  keep  awake  and  watch  for  the  return  of  her  master; 
but  the  varying  emotions  of  the  last  two  days,  the  in- 
tense excitement,  and  the  unusual  strain  of  talking  for 
hours  had  completely  worn  her  out,  and,  overcome  with 
drowsiness,  she  retired  to  the  hut,  where,  after  tucking 
up  the  younger  children,  she  took  her  place  on  her  own 
mat.  Hardly  had  she  rolled  herself  in  her  blanket  when 
sleep  claimed  her,  and  deployed  before  her  the  most 
beautiful  visions  of  the  white  man's  land. 

First,  she  saw,  from  without,  a  house  such  as  the  Sci- 
entist had  often  described  to  her.  She  stood  beneath  a 
long  row  of  regular  trees,  and  looked  up  to  where  the 
roof  tilted  forward,  high  as  the  top  of  the  loftiest  bar- 
rancas. The  sun  touched  the  garlands  of  stone  flowers 
that  wreathed  about  a  shield  and  crown  above  the  great 
transparent  plates  of  thin,  hard  stone,  that  seemed  like 
purest  ice.  She  saw  the  white-haired  matron  and  beau- 
tiful pink-skinned  maidens  clothed  in  shimmering  flower- 
like  blankets,  wandering  in  and  out  between  palms, 
while  clouds  and  angels  floated  above  them,  held  im- 
prisoned by  the  roof.  The  maidens  seated  themselves 
on  beds  and  stools  covered  with  shining  petals  in  fancy 
designs.  The  matron  went  to  a  box  of  polished  wood, 
and,  opening  one  end,  showed  rows  of  teeth  laid  flat. 
She  touched  them,  and  music,  wonderful,  incomparable, 
filled  the  hut.  Ampharita  listened  entranced  ;  and  when 
it  ceased,  she  thought  she  pressed  a  button,  and  noise- 
lessly the  plates  swung  apart  in  the  middle  at  the  touch 
of  a  gorgeous  white  man  covered  all  over  with  gold,  and 

139 


holding  a  long  rod  in  his  hand,  with  a  great  golden 
globe  on  the  top,  and  tassels  richer  than  those  of  the 
silk  cotton-tree  hanging  about  his  white  cloth-sheaved 
fingers. 

Another  man  was  beside  her  with  a  sombrero  shaped 
like  a  jumping-bean,  and  heavily  trimmed  with  gold  ;  he 
laid  it  upon  his  heart,  then  motioned  her  to  go  on. 
But  the  matron  and  maidens  had  disappeared,  and  she 
felt  as  though  he  had  told  her 
that  her  master  was  not  in  the 
great  house.  So  she  turned  aside, 
and  entered  the  garden  and  green- 
houses, her  fancy  fluttering  from 
one  well-remembered  word-pic- 
ture to  another  through  ever 
brighter  and  more  beautiful  reve- 
lations. Still  she  was  unhappy ;  she  could  discover  her 
master  nowhere,  and  often  she  tossed  and  moaned  in 
her  anxiety  to  find  him. 

Meanwhile  the  night  advanced  without  any  abatement 
of  the  feasting,  until  the  men  grew  heavy  with  food  and 
beer,  and  fell  asleep,  lying  like  logs  about  the  dying 
fires. 

The  medicine-men  did  not  yield  to  their  appetites 
like  those  of  baser  clay ;  they  told  tales  that  were  ex- 
citing; but  the  Chiefs  were  tired,  and  did  not  listen 
long.  No  sooner  had  all  the  food  been  consumed  than 
they  arose,  and,  after  a  final  oblation,  moved  away  with 
great  dignity.  The  Pima  Chief  accompanied  his  chief 
guest  to  a  temporary  saccaton-grass  hut  which  had  been 
hastily  constructed  purposely  for  his  use. 

At  this  signal  all  who  could  sought  their  homes ;  and 
Ampharita's  parents  offered  to  accompany  the  white 

140 


man,  unless  he  preferred  to  go  to  the  cactus  hut 
alone. 

"  No,  let  us  go  together.  I  want  you  both  to  come 
to  the  prairie,"  the  Scientist  said,  in  a  low  tone.  "  I 
have  heard  my  horse  neigh  several  times.  The  smell  of 
the  sacrifice  must  have  drawn  the  coyotes  to  the  pueblo, 
and  I  would  see  that  he  is  untouched  by  strange  man  or 
beast." 

The  Indians  answered  nothing,  and  walked  along 
beside  him. 

The  fires  were  burning  low  in  the  pueblo.  The  moon 
had  passed  the  zenith,  and,  in  crossing  the  waste  land, 
the  pure  air  from  the  mountains  refreshed  the  explorer 
and  his  companions  with  its  sweet  cool  breath. 

Out  on  the  rolling  mezas,  far  removed  from  the 
watchful  eyes  of  the  Chief  and  the  crafty  medicine-men, 
the  Scientist  felt  at  ease.  The  decisive  moment  had 
arrived ;  but  he  had  nerved  himself  for  the  occasion, 
and  his  sensations  were  nothing  compared  with  the 
sickening  indecision  which  had  preyed  upon  him  during 
the  long  journey.  Ampharita's  parents  were  good, 
humdrum,  everyday  aborigines,  and  he  felt  that  he  could 
sway  them  easily ;  for  even  if  he  did  say  something  a 
little  offensive,  they  would  not  resent  it,  for  the  apathy 
consequent  on  the  long  day  of  excitement  and  hard 
work  and  the  evening  feast  would  have  rendered  them 
unobservant.  None  but  the  horse  and  the  stars  would 
assist  at  the  interview;  and  if  the  two  Indians  tried  to 
excite  the  tribe  against  the  white  man,  what  they  as- 
serted would  be  accepted  by  their  companions  as  the 
unreliable  inspiration  of  the  teswaina  working  in  their 
heads  after  the  feast. 

The  three  reached  the  horse ;  he  was  moving  about 

141 


slowly,  sniffing  and  munching  the  freshest  grass.  The 
breeze  had  veered  to  the  southward  so  that  its  fleet 
wings  swept  away  the  sound  of  their  voices  from  the 
pueblo.  It  was  an  ideal  night  of  the  Sierra,  cool  and 
clear,  the  stars  twinkling  like  a  myriad  of  watchful  eyes. 

"  I  hear  no  coyote,"  said  the  Indian,  "  and  the  horse 
has  seen  none ;  he  is  as  satisfied  as  a  papoose  at  its 
mother's  breast." 

The  Scientist  started  at  the  sound  of  the  man's 
voice.  The  thought  of  the  Nemesis  of  the  Divine  law 
oppressed  him;  in  another  moment  he  would  have 
stifled  it.  The  Indian  should  not  have  spoken  and  thus 
compelled  him  to  talk  before  he  was  quite  ready. 

"  Never  mind  the  coyotes,"  he  said  aloud,  impatiently, 
"  now  that  we  are  here,  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  of  some- 
thing much  more  important,  something  that  regards 
you  most  intimately.  I  brought  you  both  out  here 
because  every  stick  and  stone  in  the  pueblo  has  ears, 
and  you  consult  your  babies  about  grave  matters  far 
beyond  their  years  and  knowledge.  Hearken  well  to 
what  I  say ;  it  is  urgent  and  the  night  advances.  You 
are  aware  that  despite  the  deep  color  upon  my  skin, 
which  comes  from  the  touch  of  the  sun,  it  is  different 
from  yours  and  that  of  your  tribe.  I  do  not  even  look 
like  the  Mexicans  whom  you  have  seen.  I  belong  to  a 
race  of  the  far  North.  My  eyes  are  blue  where  yours 
are  black,  milk-colored  where  yours  are  creamy.  My 
nails  are  pink  where  yours  are  brown ;  and  beneath  the 
shadow  of  my  garments  my  skin  is  fair  and  pink,  like 
that  of  our  maidens. 

"  I  came  here  to  study  the  wonders  of  your  country, 
and  carry  back  to  my  people  news  of  this  strange  land. 
For  my  people  would  know  all  things.  To  learn  all 

142 


about  it  was  the  object  of  my  long  sojourn  among  you. 
I  gathered  all  the  things  which  load  the  pack-horse  to 
prove  the  truth  of  what  I  shall  tell,  for  my  nation  is  a 
doubting  one,  and  unless  I  take  with  me  the  insects 
and  the  birds,  the  grasses  and  plants  of  which  I  shall 
speak,  and  show  them  pictures  of  the  houses  and  people 
and  animals,  they  will  call  me  a  liar,  and  laugh  at  me, 
instead  of  thanking  me  for  my  months  of  work.  To 
gather  all  these  '  specimens '  as  we  call  them,  I  needed 
assistance ;  and  the  Chief  said  I  might  have  the  children 
who  were  not  engaged  in  helping  his  people  about  the 
fields  and  flocks  and  houses.  The  Chief  told  me  to  use 
them  freely,  and  I  did.  They  were  all  good  and  help- 
ful and  meant  well,  and  I  liked  them  all ;  but  as  you 
were  willing  to  send  Ampharita  to  tend  my  house  and 
horse,  she  learned  my  ways,  and  I  soon  saw  she  under- 
stood so  well  that  I  kept  her  always  by  me.  She  has 
the  head  of  an  old  man ;  she  is  different  from  the  rest 
of  the  children ;  she  is  so  submissive  too,  and  careful, 
and  no  burden  is  too  cumbersome  for  her  willingness." 

It  had  been  easy  to  get  thus  far ;  but  now,  though  the 
Scientist  cleared  his  throat,  the  words  stuck  fast  and  he 
could  not  proceed.  The  long  pause  caused  the  Indian 
father  to  feel  that  some  confirmation  was  expected 
from  him ;  and  he  was  doubly  proud  of  his  daughter 
as  he  said,  "  You  are  wise,  O  white  shaman.  You  speak 
even  as  it  is." 

The  mother  added,  in  a  voice  so  low  it  sounded  like 
an  intensification  of  the  hum  of  the  night  insects,  "  Oh, 
yes,  like  the  white  shaman,  every  one  has  always  said 
Ampharita  was  quite  different  from  the  other  children 
of  our  pueblo." 

"  You  see,  everybody  has  observed  it  too.  What 
143 


wonder  that  I  used  what  you  placed  in  my  hand !  She 
has  not  only  the  promise  of  rare  beauty ;  but  she  is  so 
much  gentler,  so  much  more  refined  than  the  others,  as  the 
people  of  my  land  would  call  her.  Her  questions  show 
that  her  spirit  works  ceaselessly  for  good ;  and  I  have 
been  pleased  to  help  it  grow,  and  have  never  wearied  in 
answering  her  multitude  of  questions.  She  always 
asked  this  or  that  about  the  country  where  my  parents 
hold  much  land ;  and  so  I  told  her  about  many  things, 
and  the  tales  held  her  fancy,  and  she  listened  breath- 
lessly, ever  pleading  for  more.  One  unlucky  day  when 
I  had  told  her  about  something  which  pleased  her  more 
greatly  than  anything  she  had  ever  seen  or  heard,  she 
asked  me  to  let  her  go  with  me  and  see  with  her  own 
eyes  what  I  had  told  her  about  so  often ;  and  I  — think- 
ing of  no  harm  —  said,  'Yes.'  You  see  she  took  that 
as  a  promise,  and  brooded  upon  the  hope  until  it  grew 
into  a  certainty  that  she  should  see  and  touch  all  that 
she  had  heard  about." 

"  Misericordia !  "  the  mother  exclaimed,  clasping  her 
hands  above  her  head,  "  to  think  that  this,  my  child,  who 
but  yesterday  was  in  the  cradle,  this,  my  gentle  little 
dove  which  has  but  lately  slipped  the  egg,  would  leave 
its  nest  already  and  fly  over  the  seas  with  no  parent's 
wing  near  to  rest  upon." 

She  crossed  herself;  and  the  father  followed  suit,  but 
said  nothing.  It  was  beneath  his  dignity  to  express  an 
opinion  until  asked,  so  he  waited  patiently  for  the 
Scientist  to  proceed. 

"  That  my  life  is  a  wandering  one  is  shown  by  my 
coming  here  where  no  one  who  has  not  travelled  far 
has  ever  seen  a  white  man.  It  may  be  years  before  I 
can  return  to  my  fatherland  which  lies  far  beyond  the 

144 


warm  yellow  waters,  and  the  furthermost  bitter  blue 
ones ;  and  what  would  Ampharita  do  there  alone  mean- 
while? She  would  be  like  the  bird  from  the  pine-lands 
which  Ismo  hung  in  a  cage  beside  the  house-door,  and 
twitted  and  poked  to  make  sing  and  eat  until  it  moped 
and  died  in  Ampharita's  hand,  when  she  took  it  out  to 
soothe  it.  Ampharita  would  feel  like  one  of  the  beauti- 
ful blue  butterflies  of  the  meza  caught  in  a  snow-flurry 
from  the  Sierra ;  whereas  here  she  flits  about  with  the 


NATIVE   BIRD-CAGE   AND   LYC^ENA    SONORENSIS. 

other  children,  and  will  live  out  her  life  as  God  allotted 
it.  If  He  had  not  meant  her  to  be  a  Pima  maiden,  He 
would  have  caused  her  to  be  born  elsewhere." 

All  was  still ;  the  horse  had  moved  somewhat  away. 
The  stars  seemed  to  wink  and  sparkle  with  intense 
interest.  The  father,  seeing  some  comment  was  ex- 
pected, said,  "  It  is  God's  will." 

The  mother  repeated  the  words :  "  A  snared  bird 
from  the  pine-lands,  a  blue  butterfly  of  the  mezas  caught 
in  a  snow-flurry."  The  voice  sounded  dulcet  and  caress- 
10  I45 


ing  as  she  repeated  them ;  but  the  young  man's  con- 
science caused  him  to  hear  in  it  a  ring  of  reproach. 

"  Well,  woman !  "  he  exclaimed  impatiently,  "  is  it  not 
so  ?  She  has  a  soul  and  a  big  heart ;  but  she  told  me 
to-day  she  believes  all  things,  even  plants,  have  souls ; 
while  she  is  still  so  innocent  she  is  indeed  like  one  of 
your  native  birds  or  insects,  which  falls  to  pieces  if 
roughly  handled.  Let  us  suppose  that  I  grant  her 
prayer,  then  she  must  leave  you  all  forever ;  for  if  she 
should  try  to  return,  as  she  says  she  will,  she  would  be  so 
changed  that  she  would  find  she  could  not  care  for  you 
as  before.  If  I  sacrifice  my  explorations  for  this,  your 
daughter's  fancy,  and  give  myself  up  for  a  season  to  the 
care  of  her,  what  then  ?  After  walking  for  weeks  across  the 
desert,  I  must  take  her  in  a  big  noisy  box,  with  hundreds 
of  other  people,  for  many  days  behind  an  iron  horse  that 
spits  flame  and  boiling  water.  Then  no  sooner  have  we 
left  that  horror,  than  we  enter  a  moving  house  that  rolls 
and  churns  along  across  the  great  waters,  crowded  with 
sick  people,  until,  after  many  more  days,  in  which  her 
heart  has  been  faint  with  fear,  we  issue  from  it  upon  the 
shore  of  my  native  land. 

"  The  young  girls  and  braves  of  my  people  will  crowd 
around  us;  they  will  be  clothed  in  gorgeous  complicated 
draperies,  and  look  as  curiously  at  Ampharita  as  the  in- 
habitants of  your  pueblo  looked  upon  me  when  I  came 
among  you.  She  will  be  ashamed  and  know  not  where 
to  hide  her  dark  face,  and  with  what  to  cover  her  bare 
neck  and  legs ;  for  with  us  the  women  wear  their  heads 
and  feet  and  bodies  and  even  their  hands  covered  when 
they  go  abroad.  If  she  tries  to  move  away  from  the 
crowd,  which  will  laugh  and  point  at  her,  big  strong 
white  men  will  seize  her  and  take  her  before  a  white 

146 


Chief;  and  he  will  say  to  me,  '  My  son,  whence  the 
maiden?  She  must  be  made  at  once  like  our  maidens, 
or  I  shall  lock  her  up  alone  as  one  mad  !  ' 

"  Besides  not  being  allowed  to  dress  as  they  will, 
the  good  young  girls  among  the  white  people  are 
not  allowed  to  live  alone  with  men  who  are  not  of  their 
near  kin ;  and  I  should  have  to  put  her  with  some 
holy  teaching-women  who  live  shut  up  within  high 
walls,  surrounded  by  white  girls  whom  they  instruct  in 
religion,  submission,  and  what  we  call  the  arts  of  re- 
fined life.  Growing  white  girls  are  no  better  than  grow- 
ing white  or  brown  boys ;  they  are  always  ready  to  tease 
and  torture  what  is  weak  and  less  clever  than  they  think 
themselves :  so  I  fear  me  the  white  girls  would  despise 
Ampharita  because  of  her  ignorance  and  lack  of  what 
they  consider  the  good  manners  of  life,  and  they  would 
wound  her  heart  with  many  scornful  words,  and  crush 
her  spirit  each  day,  making  even  the  color  of  her  skin  a 
source  of  agony  to  her.  She  would  have  to  dress  in 
tight  garments  which  hurt  her  body;  and  the  wicked 
words  they  would  use  to  her  would  take  away  her 
strength  until  she  faded  away. 

"  The  white  teaching-women  do  not  wish  for  other  men 
than  priests  within  their  walls,  and  only  let  a  girl's  rela- 
tives enter  a  place  reserved  for  visitors  during  one  watch 
on  two  days  out  of  seven.  This  place  is  built  of  stone 
and  enclosed  by  iron  bars.  Sometimes  one  can  only  see 
.  the  girl  and  talk  to  her  through  the  iron  bars.  You  see 
even  though  I  never  left  the  white  man's  pueblo,  —  and 
you  know  that  would  be  impossible  as  my  life  is  that  of 
the  wild  cattle,  roving  hither  and  thither  in  pursuit  of 
fresh  food,  —  Ampharita  would  be  separated  from  me. 
Gentle  and  submissive  though  we  find  her  here,  she 

H7 


would  break  bounds  there.  Lithe  as  she  is,  her  feet 
would  grow  rebellious,  until,  climbing  the  walls,  she  ran 
away.  But  whither  would  she  fly?  There  is  no  place 
in  the  thickly  peopled  white  man's  land  where  she  could 
hide  away  and  live  unmolested.  She  would  be  caught 
and  shut  up  again  in  a  darker  place  than  ever,  or  worse ; 
for  there  are  awful  houses  to  which  despairing  maidens 
are  spirited  away  who  have  been  found  alone  in  the  streets 
of  a  white  pueblo,  and  there  they  live  or  die  in  shame. 
What  could  keep  her  among  the  white  teaching-women? 
Did  she  not  leave  her  home  and  those  she  has  loved  since 
babyhood  to  follow  me,  the  first  white  man  she  saw?" 

"  Ugh !  "  said  the  father ;  and  there  was  such  an  in- 
tense ring  of  contempt  in  this  monosyllable  that  the 
Scientist  winced  and  blushed  crimson.  He  did  not 
think  an  Indian  could  have  made  him  feel  so  mean. 
He  had  talked  too  much ;  he  had  said  more  than  he 
intended,  carried  along  in  a  fever  of  self-justification, 
and  he  was  deeply  ashamed  of  the  last  words,  by  which 
he  had  only  wished  to  indicate,  without  explaining,  the 
dangers  that  beset  an  unprotected  young  girl  in  a  civil- 
ized metropolis,  and  the  whole-souled  impulsiveness  of 
Ampharita's  nature,  which  would  make  her  an  easy  prey 
to  kind  and  sympathetic  words. 

"  If  the  white  man's  country  is  such  a  dreadful  place, 
why  did  you  tell  my  daughter  about  it?  "  continued  the 
father,  doggedly.  "  Shame  should  have  sealed  your  lips ; 
for  your  conduct  among  us  has  been  good  instead  of 
bad,  as  you  have  described  that  of  your  people.  Your 
country  is  worse  than  the  land  of  the  Apaches.  You 
must  have  cast  a  powerful  spell  upon  Ampharita,  for  our 
pure,  good  maiden  to  have  seen  enough  charm  in  such 
a  life  to  draw  her  away  after  you.  A  great  white  sha- 

148 


man  should  not  use  his  powers  for  evil   upon   maidens 
and  children." 

"  Alas,  I  did  not.  Ampharita  is  so  innocent  that,  to 
tell  you  the  truth,  I  did  not  think  she  would  care  to  hear 
about  the  bad  side  of  our  life.  Civilization  is  like  a 
man's  heart,  —  full  of  noble  and  bad  passions,  good  and 
evil  actions.  It  offers  much  that  is  beautiful ;  for  the 
life  of  the  white  nation  is  fuller  than  the  existence  you 
lead  here.  Despite  the  turmoil  and  the  offence,  there 
are  many  sides  to  our  life  which  are  glorious.  Take  the 
music,  for  instance.  Ah !  you  who  hearken  to  the 
dance-rattle,  the  drums,  and  the  flutes  of  your  nation, 
know  not  what  music  is.  If  you  heard  one  of  the 
strains  that  is  played  in  our  music  houses,  if  you 
heard  the  church  masses,  with  pealing  organ,  orchestra, 
and  heavenly  voices,  you  would  lie  with  your  faces  to  the 
ground  and  say,  '  The  Christ  is  come  to  earth  again,  with 
all  the  saints  singing  His  praises.'  Then  the  paintings ! 
If  you  entered  one  of  our  picture  houses,  you  would  say, 
1  We  stand  in  Paradise  !  See  all  the  pieces  of  different 
lands  hung  about  to  give  us  joy  ! '  And  the  knowledge  ! 
If  you  heard  the  words  of  one  of  our  great  medicine-men, 
if  you  could  see  one  chamber  of  our  great  storehouses  of 
knowledge,  you  would  say,  '  This  is  the  storehouse  of 
God  the  Father,  in  which  He  keeps  the  gifts  and  tribute 
from  the  angels  and  all  His  earthly  children." 

The  Scientist  had  drawn  himself  erect  and  spread  his 
hands  to  the  stars  as  he  spoke.  Carried  away  by  the 
subject,  he  burst  into  a  glowing  eulogy  of  his  far-away 
home,  which  enthralled  his  listeners ;  for  the  Indian 
loves  eloquence  even  as  he  loves  the  fascinating  sound 
of  the  drums  and  rattles,  and  the  noise  of  the  dancing 
and  singing  at  a  feast. 

149 


When  silence  fell,  the  Indians  had  turned  away  their 
heads,  and  moved  somewhat  away,  so  the  European  could 
not  see  what  impression  he  had  made  upon  them. 

"  Humph ! "  at  last  remarked  the  father,  turning 
abruptly  to  face  the  Scientist.  "  Poor  little  Ampharita ! 
If  you  spoke  like  that  to  her,  it  is  no  wonder  that  you 
bewitched  her  guileless  heart." 

These  words  recalled  the  white  man  to  the  question  of 
the  hour.  "  Were  you  far  away  from  your  meza,  could 
you  see  the  face  of  none  you  had  ever  known,"  he  said, 
"  no  matter  how  beautiful  the  strange  land  might  be, 
you  would  think  always  of  the  snow  on  the  Sierra  Madre, 
and  the  shell-like  tints  of  the  saccaton  grass,  and  this 
bright  starlight.  You  would  talk  of  them  incessantly  to 
your  wondering  hosts,  and  they  would  think  your  home 
the  loveliest  on  earth.  Of  course  I  talked  much  to 
Ampharita  when  we  walked  and  rested  together;  for 
she  questioned,  and  was  never  weary.  She  sucked  up 
the  thoughts  I  poured  out ;  and  the  thirst  for  the  white 
man's  land  is  the  consequence.  What  child  is  without 
curiosity?  I  was  thinking  of  something  else  when  I 
made  the  promise ;  and  though  I  would  do  much  for 
Ampharita,  I  must  confess  it  would  be  her  ruin  should  I 
consider  myself  held  to  fulfil  it.  A  child's  mind  is  as 
unstable  as  water :  to-day  it  caresses  the  reflection  of  a 
man,  to-morrow  that  of  a  dog  or  cat,  a  flower  or  simply 
that  of  the  reeds  that  rustle  upon  its  bosom.  The  third 
day  it  is  all  dried  up,  or  has  grown  and  spread,  drowning 
the  flower  the  reflection  of  which  it  had  caressed.  When 
I  am  gone,  something  else  will  fill  the  place  I  now  occupy ; 
then  Ampharita  will  soon  forget  me,  and  only  think  of 
my  wonderful  tales  as  you  do  of  those  told  by  your 
medicine-men  and  hikori  hunters." 

150 


"  You  are  mistaken,"  said  the  mother,  "  Ampharita  is 
no  child." 

"How  can  you  go  away  from  her  without  fear?" 
queried  the  father.  "  You  say  you  promised  her  that  you 
would  take  her;  and  did  you  not  make  it  so  by  telling 
her,  in  my  presence,  that  your  heart  longed  for  her ;  and 
did  you  not  kiss  her  yesterday?  Can  a  white  man  so 
easily  break  his  thrice-given  word." 

The  father  paused,  but  the  Scientist  did  not  answer. 

"  You  have  filled  the  poor  child's  heart  with  images," 
the  man  went  on  in  a  monotonous  tone  full  of  suppressed 
feeling;  "you  have  conjured  up  magic  pictures  of  your 
white  man's  land.  If  you  will  not  take  her  with  you, 
you  must  release  her  from  them,  and  give  her  back  to  us 
as  you  found  her.  By  disenchanting  her,  you  may  loose 
yourself  from  your  promise.  You  owe  this  not  only  to 
her,  but  to  our  Chief,  our  whole  people,  and  to  us,  your 
friends,  who  welcomed  you  as  a  brother  to  our  kitchen- 
ring  and  daily  fare.  We  gave  you  of  all  we  had  ;  and 
you  not  only  took  that,  but  you  culled  the  sweetest 
ear  of  maize  in  all  our  field,  and  would  throw  it  aside  to 
be  trampled  and  crushed  in  the  dust,  or  pecked  at  by 
the  hens  and  crows.  No  one  has  ever  used  force  with 
Ampharita  or  spoken  to  her  unkindly.  No  Christian 
man  of  our  tribe  would  willingly  harm  her  any  more 
than  he  would  defile  the  Sacred  Image  of  the  Virgin 
that  hangs  in  God's  house.  God  would  just  as  surely 
curse  him.  She  is  too  good  and  gentle  to  be  made  to 
suffer  pain.  You  are  white ;  you  are  a  very  great  medi- 
cine-man ;  heal  her  before  you  go.  Your  book-learning 
has  taught  you  all  things ;  you  must  know  how  to  do  it, 
and  you  cannot  lack  the  will." 

"  I  have  pondered  over  the  matter,  and  arranged  things 


so  that  no  possible  harm  can  come  to  her.  Far  away 
from  here  my  pack-pony  will  await  me  to-morrow.  My 
riding-pony  I  will  leave  with  you  as  a  present,  sure  that 
in  you  it  will  find  a  kind  master.  To-night  I  shall  start 
alone  from  the  meza.  When  Ampharita  awakes  in  the 
morning,  she  will  see  the  horse;  and  though  she  will 
miss  my  presence  from  the  hut,  she  will  believe  that  I 
have  only  gone  into  some  neighboring  barranca  to  seek 
for  plants.  Let  her  continue  with  this  thought  as  long 
as  it  lives,  so  that  she  will  become  accustomed  to  my 
absence.  When  she  fears  that  I  have  departed  without 
her,  and  asks  for  news  of  me,  you  can  turn  your  words 
to  make  her  think  that  though  I  was  forced  to  go  away 
suddenly  for  a  season,  I  left  messages  for  her  to  care  for 
my  horse,  which  stays  with  her  as  a  pledge  of  my  re- 
turn. The  love  she  has  for  me  will  gradually  fade  or 
transfer  itself  to  another ;  for  she  is  of  the  kind  who  must 
have  something  to  care  for  and  tend.  The  moons  will 
grow  and  wane.  Soon  the  Chief  will  tell  her  to  choose 
among  the  young  braves,  who  already  look  upon  her 
with  favor ;  she  will  know  which  to  cast  the  pebbles  at, 
and  you  will  rejoice  with  her.  The  white  man  and  his 
promise  will  have  become  as  the  memory  of  a  rainy 
season  long  past.  When  the  horse  dies,  she  will  have 
the  golden  cross  to  show  her  children,  as  a  proof  of  the 
visit  of  the  strange  white  man  whom  she  served  faith- 
fully. The  little  ones  about  her  knee  will  grow  up  to  be 
her  pride  and  joy.  Then  she  will  laugh  over  her  wild 
wish  to  follow  me  to  the  white  man's  land.  Why  should 
she  mourn  for  me?  I  have  appeared  in  her  life  like  a 
strange  bird,  — '  a  messenger  from  the  sky,'  she  called 
me  that  but  to-day ;  and  after  I  am  gone  she  will  be  no 
worse  off  than  before  I  came.  I  leave  many  rich  gifts 

152 


with  her  in  the  thoughts  I  have  planted  in  her  brain,  the 
arts  I  have  already  taught  her.  The  east  wind  will  ob- 
literate my  trail ;  the  rain  will  beat  away  the  last  foot- 
print; and  the  new 
grass  will  grow  up  in 
what  has  been  my 
daily  path.  The 
priest  will  occupy 
the  cactus  hut  as 
before.  I  shall  have 
disappeared  in  an 
instant,  like  the 
smoke  from  the  burn- 
ing prairies,  which 
calls  down  the  shower 
that  ends  your  dry 
season.  The  thought 
of  me  will  die  after  a 
few  days,  like  the 
strange  butterflies  "THE  TW°  INDIANS  WENDED  THEIR  WAY 

,1  ,  i    .,1  TOWARDS   THE   PUEBLO." 

that  are  borne  hither 

by  the  south  wind,  and  hang  blighted  and  quivering  upon 
the  wet  thatch  of  your  houses.  If  in  her  future,  joyous 
life  of  wife  and  mother,  she  ever  remembers  the  white 
medicine-man  with  whom  she  searched  the  barrancas 
and  prairies,  it  will  be  with  amusement  at  his  queer 
ways ;  while  I  will  be  somewhere  out  in  the  world  fight- 
ing and  suffering  alone  in  the  cause  of  knowledge." 

The  Scientist  had  again  drowned  his  conscience  be- 
neath a  flood  of  eloquent  words.  At  the  end,  all  the 
sorrow  he  felt  was  for  himself,  and  he  had  almost  for- 
gotten the  Indian  girl's  devotion,  in  contemplating  the 
picture  of  her  future  which  his  fancy  had  created. 

153 


Not  so  the  mother.  She  shook  her  head  and  said : 
"  Poor  Ampharita !  With  all  your  learning  you  have 
not  been  able  to  understand  my  simple  child." 

She  added  nothing  that  the  white  man  could  hear,  but, 
touching  her  husband,  she  pointed  towards  the  Indian 
pueblo,  and  said  something  in  his  ear.  Indian  women 
are  well-trained  in  keeping  their  own  counsel,  and  bear 
suffering  without  complaint.  Whatever  further  thoughts 
were  in  her  mind,  she  kept  them  to  herself,  and  the  two 
prepared  to  leave  the  prairie. 

The  father  said,  "  Great  Shaman,  we  will  care  for  your 
horse ;  and  the  Chief  may  use  him  if  he  will,  —  we  have 
no  need  for  such.  Go  in  peace !  The  Madonna  pro- 
tect you,  and  enfold  our  child  in  her  arms  that  the  blow 
be  softened." 

The  two  Indians  turned  and,  with  bowed  heads,  wended 
their  way  towards  the  pueblo,  while  their  whilom  guest, 
the  white  man,  began  to  walk  away  rapidly  in  the  oppo- 
site direction. 

As  they  neared  the  houses  the  Indian  mother  paused 
and  looked  back.  The  white  man  was  already  lost  in 
the  shadows  of  the  night,  and,  covering  her  face  with  her 
hand,  she  followed  her  husband  to  their  hut. 


OLLA    RING,    PADDLE,   AND   DANCE   RATTLE. 


154 


CHAPTER   VII. 

"  And  Lancelot  ansvver'd  nothing,  but  he  went, 
And  at  the  inrunning  of  a  little  brook 
Sat  by  the  river  in  a  cove,  and  watch'd 
The  high  reed  wave,  .  .   . 

.   .  .  and  said 

Low  in  himself  :   '  Ah,  simple  heart  and  sweet, 
Ye  loved  me,  damsel,  surely  with  a  love 
Far  tenderer  than  my  queen's  .  .  . 
.  .  .  Farewell  .  .  .  now  at  last  .  .  . 
Farewell  "... 
So  groaned  Sir  Lancelot  in  remorseful  pain." 

THE  moonlight  was  strong  and  clear  with  the  golden 
intensity  common  in  that  region.  The  Scientist  easily 
recognized  the  trail,  and  advanced  rapidly  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  canon.  When  the  moon  set,  the  stars  grew 
in  brilliancy  until  they  seemed  an  array  of  lanterns,  large 
and  small,  hung  out  at  various  altitudes  to  illumine  the 
dark  vault  of  heaven,  just  as  the  circling  lamps  beautify 
the  domes  of  earthly  temples,  swinging  in  iridescent 
beauty,  flaring,  flickering,  and  paling  in  the  dusky  in- 
cense-laden atmosphere. 

The  Scientist  knew  the  constellations  well,  and  hailed 
them  as  cheering  guides.  From  time  to  time  he  paused 
to  rest ;  and  once  he  lay  back  upon  the  sands,  pillow- 
ing his  head  upon  his  clasped  arms  and  gazing  upwards, 
lost  for  a  while  in  admiration  of  their  wondrous  beauty. 

155 


Across  the  zenith  swept  the  Milky  Way,  like  a  silver- 
gray  ostrich  plume  spangled  with  living  sparks ;  and  as 
he  sought  to  count  the  stars  within  the  grasp  of  the 
Lesser  Bear,  the  little  pain  which  lurked  about  his  heart 
and  his  wounded  self-esteem  were  soothed. 

At  dawn  the  three  great  rocks  were  in  sight.  They 
towered  high,  a  noble  landmark,  visible  from  every 
elevation  in  a  circuit  of  many  miles.  He 
breakfasted  by  eating  a  few  tortillas  which 
he  had  brought  with  him  from  the  feast; 
and  as  he  thought  how  graceful  Ampharita 
had  been  when  pounding  the  meal,  or  knead- 
ing and  rolling  it  into  cakes,  the  pain  re- 
turned, so  that  he  cared  not  to  finish  the 
frugal  repast,  but,  rising  hastily,  pressed  for- 
ward towards  the  trysting-place. 

His  gait  was  rapid,  though,  from  time  to 
time,  he  paused  instinctively  beside  some 
uncommon  plant.  Then  the  thought  of 
how  the  abandoned  girl  would  have  been 

PITAIYA    CACTUS. 

ready  to  carry  it  along,  and  tend  it  till  he 
could  classify  it,  would  cause  the  pain  to  grow  in  force, 
until  the  plant  disappeared  behind  the  mist  of  pity 
which  filled  his  eyes. 

When  he  at  last  reached  the  three  rocks,  he  was  in  no 
kindly  mood  either  towards  himself  or  the  rest  of  the 
world. 

He  found  there  the  Ranchero  with  the  pack-horse,  and 
examined  the  animal's  load,  without  answering  the  man's 
greeting.  Nothing  was  lacking ;  not  even  Ampharita's 
store  of  attole  and  pinoles. 

At  the  sight  of  the  bag,  the  picture  of  how  she  had 
gathered  the  fresh  fruit  of  the  yucca,  dried  and  sorted 

156 


it,  how  she  had  fetched  the  seed  from  the  store-house, 
and  prepared  the  paste,  her  slender  arms  struggling  for 
hours  with  the  heavy  stone  pestle,  raising  it  high  above 
her  head,  and  dropping  it  again  to  crush  the  yucca-seed 
in  the  mortar,  rose  before  him,  and  he  fell  into  a  revery, 
entirely  forgetting  the  presence  of  the  Mexican. 

The  Ranchero  thought  he  had  dropped  asleep  from 
exhaustion,  and  allowed  him  to  rest  for  a  while ;  but 
when  mid-day  came,  he  spread  the  food  he  had  brought 
with  him  upon  his  blanket,  and,  touching  the  Scientist 
upon  the  shoulder,  said :  "  Senor,  the  sun  is  about  to 
move  westward,  and  the  distance  is  long  to  my  ranch ; 
will  the  Caballero  eat?  Then,  if  he  show  his  satisfaction 
by  paying  his  servant  and  letting  him  go,  it  will  be  well ; 
unless  the  Caballero  commands  that  we  camp  here  for  the 
night?" 

"  No,  no,  my  man,"  answered  the  Scientist,  arousing 
himself.  "  Let  us  eat,  then  you  can  be  off  as  soon  as 
you  wish  to.  I  promised  you  good  pay ;  and  as  I  am 
satisfied,  I  will  fulfil  my  part  of  the  contract,  as  you  have 
yours." 

They  ate  in  silence  ;  and,  when  the  meal  was  over,  the 
white  man  counted  out  the  silver  pieces,  adding  one  for 
the  Ranchera. 

"  Here  is  your  money,"  he  said.  "  Take  it  and  away 
with  you  ;  you  say  that  the  journey  before  you  is  long ; 
as  to  mine,  it  is  longer,  and  I  shall  have  to  camp  by  the 
way  more  than  once,  so  I  will  rest  still  for  a  season. 
The  water  is  good,  and  perhaps  I  will  not  go  beyond,  but 
camp  here  instead  for  to-night.  In  any  case,  I  need  you 
no  longer.  Here  is  your  money,  and  an  extra  pezo  for 
your  wife ;  be  sure  to  reach  home  before  nightfall.  That 
teswaino  or  robbers  make  not  free  with  the  silver,  you 

157 


had  better  give  it  all  to  your  wife.    She  is  a  good  woman, 
though  sad,  and  will  care  for  it  against  a  bad  harvest." 

"  Ah,  well,  the  wife  is  sad  because  she  has  had  sor- 
row ;  and  the  Indian  women  are  not  easily  consoled  when 
they  lose  that  to  which  their  heart  clings.  The  worst 
kind  are  those  who  do  not  say  much ; 
it  just  eats  them  up  inside,  and  they 
are  lifeless  husks,  worm-eaten  mes- 
quite  beans.  A  thousand  thanks, 
Senor ;  may  you  be  requited  a  hun- 
dred-fold. Good-bye,  Caballero.  Call 
on  me  at  any  time.  I  am  your 
obedient  servant.  The  Madonna 
protect  you !  " 

The  man  mounted  his  small  pony 
and  trotted  away  rapidly  towards 
the  north.  From  time  to  time  he 
turned  and  waved  his  hat,  and  once 
the  Scientist  saw  that  he  paused 
and  dismounted  while  he  put  the 
silver  pieces  into  the  lining  of  his  leathern  breeches. 

"  The  Madonna  protect  me,"  thought  the  Scientist. 
"  Her  parents,  too,  said  that  last  night.  Everything 
reminds  me  of  her.  Why  did  he  describe  to  me  how 
sorrow  works  upon  the  silent  ones?  Bah,  Ampharita 
cannot  have  loved  me  as  the  mother  loves  her  child  ;  she 
is  too  young  to  feel  deeply.  She  will  get  over  it  soon. 
I  must  rid  myself  of  this  morbid  feeling.  I  am  making 
a  ghost  out  of  a  pumpkin  moonshine.  If  I  travel  for- 
ward I  shall  forget.  As  the  Ranchero  said,  the  sun  is 
moving  towards  the  west,  and  the  night  must  find  me 
many  a  mile  away." 

But  the  Scientist  did  not  rise.     He  sat  quite  still  in 

158 


CENA    CACTUS. 


the  narrow  shadow  of  the  rocks,  with  his  elbow  on  his 
knee  and  his  head  resting  on  his  hand.  He  felt  as 
though  he  could  not  bear  to  move  away  from  the  tryst- 
ing  place,  for  then  he  would  sever  the  last  visible  link 
that  bound  him  to  the  Indian  settlement.  Thus  far  he 
had  once  come  with  Ampharita ;  and,  as  she  had  said  on 
their  pleasant  journey  the  day  before,  it  was  good  to  see 
the  home  mountains.  Beyond  him  lay  the  unknown, 
and  he  had  no  fixed  plan,  save  to  get  away  as  fast  as 
possible  from  the  Pima  Bajas,  and  carry  his  precious 
specimens  to  the  city  of  Chihuahua,  whence  he  could 
ship  them  to  the  museum  where  his  other  collections 
were  on  exhibition. 

"  Should  anything  happen  to  me  after  I  have  left 
here,"  he  thought,  "  no  news  of  me  could  ever  reach  my 
people,  nor  would  the  Pimas  find  my  remains  and  tell 
their  priest,  who  might  send  word  to  a  white  settlement, 
whence  the  message  would  be  forwarded  to  the  capital, 
and  telegraphed  all  over  the  world,  and  be  printed  in 
the  papers,  under  the  heading  of  '  Another  victim  to 
science ! '  I  am  condemned  to  work  my  way  alone 
through  a  country  which,  according  to  report,  is  infested 
with  all  kinds  of  vermin,  from  scorpions  to  revolutionary 
Chihuahuans.  The  sumpter-pony  is  already  more  heav- 
ily laden  than  he  should  be ;  and,  since  I  sacrificed  my 
saddle-horse  to  sentiment,  I  must  foot  it,  whether  my 
boots  and  provisions  stand  the  strain  or  not." 

Rising,  he  whistled  to  the  animal,  replaced  its  pack, 
and  led  the  way  down  the  steep  acclivity  to  where  the 
brook  babbled  musically. 

Both  man  and  beast  were  refreshed  by  a  long  drink 
of  the  clear  water.  The  canon  ran  somewhat  east- 
ward ;  but  its  banks  were  high,  and  so  the  sun  had  no 

159 


time  to  warm  the  brook  that  babbled  in  its  depths.  The 
Scientist  decided  to  follow  a  faint  trail  he  found  beside 
it,  and  did  not  re-ascend  to  the  plateau. 

At  sunset  he  reached  an  abandoned  cave  which  had 
been  originally  worn  out  of  the  stony  side  of  the  bar- 
ranca by  the  arroyo,  when  swollen  with  the  inrushing 
waters  consequent  upon  the  rainy  season,  and  which 
had  been  adapted  to  a  dwelling  by  the  levelling  of  its 


LEPUS  TEXIANUS  EREMICUS,  JACK  RABBITS. 

floor,  and  the  construction  of  an  outward  wall  and  rude 
partition. 

The  horse  would  not  wander  from  the  lush  grass  and 
plentiful  water,  while  the  man  could  rest  secure  in 
the  habitation ;  so  he  left  the  animal  to  graze  at  will, 
and,  stowing  away  the  pack  in  the  back  of  the  cave,  he 
lay  down  in  the  outer  chamber,  and,  rolling  himself  in 
his  blanket,  sought  sleep. 

He  soon  found  the  atmosphere  close,  and  that  the 
bits  of  broken  pottery  which  protruded  through  the 

1 60 


beaten  floor  formed  anything  but  an  agreeable  couch. 
He  missed  the  cool  night-breeze  of  the  meza,  and  the 
almost  imperceptible  stir  of  pueblo  life.  When  at  last 
he  slept,  it  was  not  soundly,  and  he  was  easily  aroused 
by  a  rustling  near  him. 

This  continued,  and  he  cautiously  stretched  out  his 
arm  for  his  gun.  The  Ranchero,  or  a  strange  Indian, 
might  have  followed  him  to  steal  the  pack.  He  touched 
something  in  the  dark.  It  was  cold  as  his  rifle-bore, 
but  soft  and  scaly,  while  at  the  same  instant  an  excited 
whir  caused  his  blood  to  freeze,  as  he  recognized  in 
it  the  rasping  ring  of  a  disturbed  rattlesnake. 

Knowing  the  habits  of  these  reptiles,  he  realized  that 
his  safety  lay  in  vacating  the  premises  as  quietly  as 
possible,  and  he  prepared  to  wriggle  in  the  opposite 
direction,  when,  what  was  his  horror  to  feel  the  same 
kind  of  cold  rough  body  on  the  other  side.  An  instant 
later,  he  felt  something  heavy  drag  itself  across  the 
blanket  where  it  enveloped  his  feet,  and,  without  daring 
to  move  a  muscle,  he  lay  bathed  in  cold  perspiration 
throughout  what  appeared  interminable  hours. 

When  the  gray  dawn  stole  in  through  the  opening  of 
the  cave,  he  saw  his  grim  visitants.  One  lay  snugly 
curled  in  the  folds  of  his  blanket,  the  two  others  had 
approached  quite  close  to  his  head,  while  in  his  coat  a 
fourth  lay  hidden.  All  were  sleeping. 

He  rose  to  a  sitting  posture,  and,  with  the  greatest 
patience,  slipped  his  feet  from  beneath  the  loathsome 
burden,  and,  abandoning  his  blanket  and  coat  for  the 
nonce,  he  picked  up  his  gun  and  cartridge-belt,  and 
crept  out  of  the  cave,  and  down  the  side  of  the  canon 
to  where  the  horse  stood. 

After  the  sun  had  risen  awhile,  and  its  warm  rays  had 
«  161 


HELODERMA   HORRIDUM. 


penetrated  the  cave-dwelling,  he  saw  seven  of  the  loath- 
some creatures  come  out  of  the  cave  and  slowly  work 
their  way  along  the  ledge  of  rock  to  a  warm  crevice, 
where  they  distended  themselves  side  by  side,  forming 
a  hideous  mottled  ribbon  of  deadly  portent. 

The  Scientist  had  mechanically  raised  his  rifle  to  his 
shoulder,  but  he  lowered  it  again  without  taking  aim. 

"  My  bullets  are  more 
valuable   than  their   big 
rattles,"    he    thought. 
"  What  end  will  I   serve 
by  killing  the  monsters; 
while,  some  days  hence, 
if  I   run    short   of  food, 
each  cartridge  will  mean 
one  meal  at  least." 
He  waited  a  little  longer;    and,  as  no   more  snakes 
appeared  from  the  cave,  he   went    to  fetch   the    pack 
from  which  to  take  the  wherewithal  to  breakfast. 

The  cave  was  deep ;  and  now  he  noticed  that  the  far- 
ther end  of  the  inner  recess  had  been  closed  to  form  a 
storehouse.  The  door-way  was  walled  up,  and  it  might 
contain  stores  and  utensils ;  but  in  the  outer  chambers 
he  could  find  no  signs  of  habitation  save  the  bits  of 
broken  pottery,  which  might  have  been  left  there  a 
century  or  a  decade  before. 

"This  place  is  cheerless  at  best;  no  one  may  again 
seek  a  night's  rest  within  its  shelter.  Some  of  those 
monsters  bear  the  record  of  a  score  of  years  in  their 
rattles ;  they  seem  at  home  here  and  would  suffice  to 
give  the  place  a  bad  reputation,  if  these  superstitious 
Indians  have  not  found  a  tale  of  witchcraft  and  magic 
that  hoo-doos  it  in  their  estimation." 

162 


He  took  up  his  blanket  and  returned  to  the  brook's 
edge,  where  he  prepared  a  little  gruel,  making  it  with 
attole  from  Ampharita's  bag.  This  drink  seemed  to 
pour  new  life  and  confidence  into  his  veins,  and,  placing 
the  pack  on  his  refreshed  pony,  he  looked  at  his  com- 
pass, and  choosing  the  first  trail  up  the  side  of  the 
canon  proceeded  in  what  he  knew  to  be  the  general 
direction  of  Chihuahua. 

The  Scientist  travelled  for  several  days  without  meet- 
ing a  single  human  being.  Sometimes  he  followed  the 
edge  of  a  barranca  to  insure  a  supply  of  water,  some- 
times he  filled  his  flasks  and  journeyed  across  desert 


land  or  waste  places  where  it  was  very  difficult  for  him 
to  make  a  way  for  himself  and  the  pack-horse  through 
the  cacti  and  other  low  prickly  growths. 

The  solitude  was  oppressive ;  his  tongue  seemed 
heavy  and  swollen  by  the  long  silence  and  alkali-dust. 
He  was  often  too  weary  to  prepare  himself  food ;  and 
then  he  inwardly  blessed  the  Indian  girl  who  had  sup- 
plied him  with  a  goodly  store  of  the  refreshing  and 
nourishing  yucca-seed. 

At  night  the  howl  of  the  coyotes  kept  him  awake,  or 
if  he  slept,  he  dreamed  of  his  reptile  companions  of 
the  cave-dwelling,  and  in  his  dreams  the  anxieties  he  had 

163 


endured  were  intensified  by  his  imagination  into  blood- 
curdling realities. 

Manifold  were  the  discomforts  of  these  nights  on  the 
open  prairies.  Rats  and  mice  came  out  to  gather  their 
store  of  flax-seed  before  the  rainy  season  ;  and  the  skunks, 
who  were  in  pursuit  of  them,  approached  so  near  that 
he  could  feel  their  hot  breath  upon  his  cheek  as  they 
sniffed  at  him,  wondering  what  kind  of  a  strange  animal 
he  might  be. 

The  further  he  journeyed  away  from  the  Pimas  Bajas, 
the  longer  the  time  and  the  greater  the  separation,  the 
more  grew  his  shame  and  sorrow  at  having  abandoned 
Ampharita  without  first  seeking  to  explain  to  her  the 
dire  necessity  which  compelled  this  action,  and  trying  to 
persuade  her  that  it  was  for  her  good  to  remain  with 
her  people. 

No  matter  how  he  reasoned  with  himself,  arguing 
against  his  conscience  that  his  precipitate  departure 
had  been  the  only  course  open  to  him,  his  sense  of  jus- 
tice vociferated  that  he  had  done  a  needlessly  cruel 
thing,  and  that  he  should  have  shown  more  confidence 
in  the  intelligence  he  had  so  much  admired. 

If  it  was  true  that  it  was  impossible  to  take  her  with 
him,  he  should  have  repeated  to  her  all  the  reasons; 
and  their  very  truth  would  have  convinced  her  to  let 
him  depart  alone.  From  cowardice,  he  had  run  away, 
like  a  thief  afraid  of  the  sunlight  and  the  people ;  and 
his  action  would  change  the  respect  of  the  Indian  girl 
and  the  entire  village  into  animosity  and  contempt. 
The  Chief  would  hold  him  in  derision  before  the  braves  ; 
the  Indians  would  laugh,  and  say  he  had  fled  from  a 
girl ;  and  he  clinched  his  fists  when  he  thought  of  how 
his  enemy,  the  medicine-man,  would  ridicule  him,  and 

164 


illustrate  his  version  of  the    story    with    the    exquisite 
mocking  mimicry  in  which  he  \vas  an  adept. 

Again  he  cursed  his  vivid  fancy,  which  depicted  how 
Ampharita   had  taken  the  news  of  his  flight,  first  this 
way  and  then  that.     What  had  she  thought  when  she 
discovered  his  lack  of 
truthfulness,  —  she  who 
kept   to    her    lightest 
word  as  few  men  do  to 


their  sworn  oaths.  At 
times  he  felt  like  a  culprit 
fleeing  from  justice,  and 
sped  forward  with  re- 
doubled energy  lest  she 
overtake  and  upbraid  him. 
At  others,  he  laughed  bit- 
terly at  his  own  folly.  Again,  he  almost  prayed  that 
the  child  might  have  indeed  followed  him ;  and  when- 
ever he  came  near  to  a  mountain  he  climbed  to  the  top, 

165 


THE    MESQUITE-TREE. 


and  looked  northwestward  towards  the  land  of  the  Pima 
Altas,  hoping  against  reason  that  he  might  see  some 
sign  of  her  or  her  people  upon  the  earth  or  sky. 

After  a  while,  the  country  he  traversed  was  somewhat 
cultivated,  and  endless  stone-walls  divided  it  up  into  fields 
and  ranches.  He  no  longer  needed  to  sleep  beneath  the 
trees  or  on  the  open  prairie. 

Suddenly  one  day  when  he  felt  his  journey  was  prac- 
tically over,  as  he  had  prophesied  to  Ampharita,  a  troop 
of  men  started  up  from  behind  a  stone-wall,  and  he 
found  himself  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  a  detachment  of- 
revolutionary  Chihuahuans,  who  had  fortified  themselves 
in  a  large  old  ranch  house. 

An  Indian  was  caught  soon  by  the  same  troop.  On 
examination  the  man  proved  to  be  a  Tarahumari,  and 
therefore  talked  an  Indian  dialect  somewhat  resembling 
the  language  which  had  become  very  familiar  to  the 
Scientist. 

The  man  said  he  was  on  his  way  eastward  in  pur- 
suit of  hikoris ;  he  had  no  money  or  merchandise,  and 
begged  to  be  set  free ;  but  the  Mexicans  kept  him  to 
wait  upon  the  white  man.  The  two  prisoners  managed 
to  understand  each  other  quite  well ;  and  though  they 
pretended  mutual  aversion  in  the  presence  of  their 
captors,  they  became  great  friends  when  left  alone,  and 
sought  together  for  a  means  of  escape.  The  Chihua- 
huans had  taken  from  the  Scientist  not  only  his  arms, 
pony,  and  money,  but  all  his  precious  scientific  instru- 
ments and  the  note-books  and  boxes  containing  the  fruit 
of  his  long  sojourn  among  the  Pimas,  and  he  desired  to 
devise  some  means  of  saving  these.  The  rebels  did  not 
maltreat  him ;  but  they  threatened  to  shoot  him  if  the 
food  ran  short,  and  the  confinement  was  very  irksome, 

1 66 


WITH  THE  CHIHUAHUANS. 


167 


for  they  would  not  allow  him  to  exercise,  lest  his  appe- 
tite increase. 

He  whiled  away  the  days  playing  Indian  games  with 
the  Tarahumari,  or  questioning  him  about  the  character- 
istics of  the  aborigines  who  lived  in  his  land  and  further 
to  the  westward,  for  the  man  seemed  to  have  travelled 
much. 

The  Tarahumari's  face  was  very  intelligent ;  and  when 
he  told  the  Scientist  stories  about  the  devotion  of  the 
women-folk  to  their  children  and  to  the  infirm,  the 
white  man  thought  the  keen,  black  eyes  twinkled  mali- 
ciously, and  his  uneasy  conscience  caused  him  to  un- 
justly suspect  the  stranger  of  being  a  spy,  or  one  of  the 
runners  whom  he  had  met  the  day  of  the  Piman  har- 
vest feast.  But  cross-question  as  he  might,  the  man 
remained  firm  in  saying  he  had  never  seen  any  of  the 
pueblos  of  the  Pima  Bajas,  although  he  had  met  some 
of  their  hikori  hunters. 

One  night  he  aroused  the  Scientist,  and  whispered 
that  he  had  heard  from  the  old  woman  of  the  ranch 
that  not  a  cob  of  maize  was  left,  and  all  the  rebels 
had  left  the  camp  in  pursuit  of  food.  Before  going 
they  had  held  a  council,  and  decided  to  kill  the  captives 
on  their  return,  if  their  expedition  proved  unsuccessful. 
The  woman  said  there  was  still  time  for  them  to  escape ; 
but  they  must  be  off  instantly. 

The  Indian  had  once  been  to  Chihuahua,  and  said  he 
knew  a  round-about  way  thither,  and  would  show  the 
white  man  the  road,  provided  he  promised  to  pay  him  a 
certain  sum  which  would  purchase  a  pony  and  outfit  of 
fire-arms.  The  Scientist  knew  that  the  Governor  would 
welcome  him  warmly,  and  felt  safe  in  guaranteeing  the 
coveted  reward,  so  they  started  and  kept  together. 

1 68 


The  country  was  overrun  with  rebels,  and  they  were 
forced  to  hide  frequently ;  but  at  last,  after  many  delays, 
the  two  men  reached  the  city. 

The  official  representative  of  the  young  man's  govern- 
ment had  repeatedly  written  to  Chihuahua  asking  for 
news  of  him ;  and  the  Governor  was  delighted  to  wel- 
come him  safe  and  sound,  no  matter  how  much  money 
the  foreigner  borrowed. 

So  the  Tarahumari  received  much  more  than  he  had 
bargained  for,  and  departed  delighted,  oblivious  of  his 
projected  hikori  hunt ;  for  a  gun  was  to  him  the  greatest 
gift  any  hikori  could  assure,  and  he  determined  to  guard 
it  with  the  devotion  of  a  chief  for  his  family  fetich. 

The  Scientist  was  once  more  comfortably  lodged,  well 
fed,  and  decently  clothed.  His  physical  anxieties  were 
ended ;  and  the  Governor  assured  him  that  he  would 
receive  a  pecuniary  indemnity  for  his  instruments  and 
specimens,  should  they  not  be  recovered  by  an  expedi- 
tion which  had  been  sent  against  the  rebels. 

Meanwhile  he  awaited  news  of  them  in  Chihuahua. 

The  enforced  inaction  and  humdrum  life  in  an  anti- 
quated provincial  town  were  oppressive  after  the  stirring 
dangers  of  the  wilderness.  The  idleness  and  security 
gave  him  time  for  thought  and  renewed  his  mental 
depression. 

The  sinister  presentiment  about  Ampharita  which  had 
pursued  him  as  he  sat  an  alien  amid  the  insurgents,  or 
tramped  along  beside  the  Indian,  now  returned.  Her 
dusky  face  had  appeared  between  him  and  his  compan- 
ion with  a  reassuring  smile,  and  she  had  pointed  forward 
encouragingly  when  they  were  in  pursuit  of  freedom. 

But  when  in  Chihuahua  he  thought  he  saw  her,  the 
eyes  had  lost  the  confiding  expression  he  had  loved  so 

169 


well.  In  its  place  was  a  sad  dreaminess ;  her  cheek 
seemed  to  have  lost  its  delicate  childish  roundness.  At 
times  her  brow  appeared  crowned  with  wonder-flowers, 
more  beautiful  than  any  she  had  gathered  for  him ;  at 
others,  her  face  lay  before  him  with  closed  eyes,  like 
those  of  one  that  sleeps,  but  it  was  pale  as  the  sunlit 
stones  about  it. 

When  he  walked  abroad  amid  the  labyrinthine  streets 
and  squares  of  the  old  town,  the  melodious  tones  of  a 
native  girl  offering  her  wares  would  recall  Ampharita's 
voice.  In  the  movement  and  bustle  of  the  market-place 
she  appeared  under  a  hundred  forms ;  for  the  arch  of 
an  instep  here,  the  turn  of  a  wrist  there,  or  the  fleet 
steps  of  a  barefooted  child  pursuing  an  escaping  pet, 
sufficed  to  bring  her  before  his  eyes. 

When  a  servant-girl  moved  along  with  swaying  hips, 
carrying  her  head  erect  beneath  the  weight  of  a  full  olla, 
the  ripple  of  her  black  hair,  the  curve  of  her  dusky  ear 
in  the  warm-colored  shadow  of  the  vessel,  would  vividly 
arouse  thoughts  of  Ampharita. 

In  the  dusk  of  evening  Ampharita  seemed  to  per- 
meate the  city.  Her  phantom  awaited  him  at  every 
dark  street-corner,  and  gazed  at  him  tenderly  from  be- 
hind the  pillar  of  a  moon-lit  portico,  or  a  deep,  dark 
doorway. 

Where  was  she?  What  was  she  doing?  What  was 
she  thinking,  that  she  could  thus  coerce  his  intellect, 
and  fill  his  fancy  with  her  image  as  it  had  never  been 
filled  before?  Whence  had  she,  the  timid  child  of  the 
prairies,  this  strange  power  over  him,  that  grew  instead 
of  waning,  despite  the  contact  with  people  of  his  own 
class  ? 

If  he  should  write  a  letter  to  her  priest,  full  of  tender 

170 


messages  for  her,  the  sting  might  perhaps  be  taken  out 
of  his  departure ;  his  conscience  might  cease  to  recall 
her  so  frequently  when  he  could  feel  that  he  had  made 
some  reparation,  and  she  had  learned  that  he  still 
thought  of  her,  and  would  go  back  to  see  her  after  the 
rainy  season. 

The  thought  was  father  to  the  act,  and  that  evening 
he  wrote  a  long  letter  to  the  priest  of  the  Pima  Bajas,  — 
the  only  man  among  them  who  knew  what  a  letter 
meant,  —  and,  inclosing  a  stamped  and  addressed  en- 
velope, begged  the  good  man  to  give  a  hundred  tender 
messages  to  Ampharita,  and  send  him  news  of  all  that 
had  transpired  at  the  pueblo  since  his  departure. 


THE  VINEGARONE  OR  THE  LUPHONUS  GIGANTEUS. 


171 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"  So  in  her  tower  alone  the  maiden  sat ; 

But  still  she  heard  him,  still  his  picture  form'd 
And  grew  between  her  and  the  pictured  wall. 
Then  came  her  father  saying  in  low  tones, 
'  Have  comfort,'  whom  she  greeted  quietly. 
Then  came  her  brethren  saying,  '  Peace  to  thee, 
Sweet  sister,'  whom  she  answer'd  with  all  calm. 
But  when  they  left  her  to  herself  again, 
Death,  like  a  friend's  voice  from  a  distant  field 
Approaching  thro'  the  darkness,  call'd ;  the  owl's 
Wailing  had  power  upon  her,  and  she  mixt 
Her  fancies  with  the  sallow  rifted  glooms 
Of  evening,  and  the  moanings  of  the  wind. 

"  Thus  he  read ;  .  .  . 
And  ever  in  the  reading  .  .  . 
Wept."  .  .  . 

AMPHARITA  awoke  in  the  early  dawn,  and  crept  out 
of  the  hut  before  the  family  began  to  stir.  Fetching  a 
water-jar,  she  swung  it  on  to  her  head,  and  sped  along, 
lithe  and  merry,  for  she  revelled  in  the  freshness  of  the 
morning,  and  was  joyous  as  the  little  birds  which  had 
spent  the  night  in  the  neighboring  mesquite,  and  now 
plumed  and  puffed  and  fluttered  at  their  morning  toilet, 
preparatory  to  a  long  flight  in  the  sunshine. 

No  one  was  at  the  brook ;  and  so  she  washed  the  jar 
and  bathed  herself  in  the  pool  before  she  went  higher 

172 


up  to  fill  the  olla  with  fresh  water.  All  Nature  was 
hung  with  strings  of  dewdrops;  and  she  stepped  care- 
fully, so  as  not  to  strike  the  flashing  jewels  from  the 
long  grasses  and  low  brush. 

The  rising  sun  peeped  above  the  hill,  and  starred  her 
long  wet  hair  with  sapphires,  rubies,  and  diamonds, 
while  the  birds  sang  their  morning  orisons. 

Ampharita  threw  a  kiss  to  the  sun ;  this  was  a  trick 
her  master  had  taught  her,  and  of  which  she  was  very 
proud.  Then  getting  into  position,  she  stood  with  out- 
stretched palms,  and  burst  into  a  cadenced  prayer  of 
her  own  composition,  which  had  gradually  grown  into 
existence  by  binding  together  bits  of  kindly  feeling  for 
all  of  Nature's  things.  The  birds,  the  beasts,  and  wild 
flowers,  the  springs  and  streams,  the  crops,  and  the  in- 
habitants of  the  pueblo,  as  well  as  her  family,  the  Sci- 
entist's horse,  and,  last  and  greatest,  her  dear  master 
were  recommended  in  turn  to  the  Beneficent  Father 
who  causes  His  sun  to  shine  with  life-giving  power  or 
death-dealing  fierceness  on  all  the  things  of  the  desert 
and  the  barrancas. 

When  she  had  finished  with  her  own  prayer,  she  knelt, 
and,  clasping  her  hands,  repeated  the  Ave  Maria  which 
the  priest  had  taught  her,  finishing  her  devotions  with 
the  sign  of  the  cross. 

On  the  homeward  way  she  met  a  few  women  strag- 
gling towards  the  stream  with  empty  water-jars.  The 
village  was  late  in  awakening;  and  even  the  dogs 
seemed  too  overcome  with  the  fatigue  consequent  upon 
the  feast  to  bark  and  snarl,  while  the  women  stumbled 
along  as  though  half  asleep,  or  under  the  influence  of 
teswain. 

Ampharita  felt  sorry  for  them ;  and  thanked  God  that 

173 


her  lips  had  never  touched  the  magic  beverage  which 
stole  away  men's  strength  and  thoughts,  and  mercilessly 
toyed  with  the  hearts  of  women. 

Raising  her  hand,  she  patted  the  big  jar  upon  her 
head.  "  Dear  pure  water,"  she  murmured,  "  you  good 
and  gentle  servant  of  God  who  scatters  blessings  every- 
where. How  much  dearer  are  you  than  all  other 
food  and  drink !  Without  you  man  and  beast  would 
die,  and  the  soft  bosom  of  the  world  become  harder 
and  more  arid  than  her  rock  crown.  You  do  not  steal 
one's  thoughts  and  strength,  but  add  to  what  one  has. 
To  bathe  in  you  is  as  when  the  rain  descends  upon  the 
earth;  all  the  rags  and  accumulated  trash  are  washed 
away  from  her  surface,  and  a  grateful  perfume  goes  up 
from  the  clean,  refreshed  soil,  while  the  tender,  green 
plants,  like  new-found  thoughts,  sprout  everywhere. 
Dear  water,  no  wonder  my  master  loves  you  !  Refresh 
him,  and  give  him  new  joy  in  life  as  you  touch  his  beau- 
tiful hair  and  noble  brow." 

Ampharita  had  by  this  time  reached  the  pueblo,  and, 
advancing  to  the  cactus  hut,  she  hearkened  at  the  door, 
and,  hearing  nothing,  placed  the  jar  in  the  shadow 
beside  the  house  for  fear  the  sun  in  the  porch  might 
heat  it. 

"  I  can  watch,"  she  thought,  "  while  helping  the 
mother  at  the  kitchen-ring ;  and  if  he  awakens  and  looks 
out  for  the  water,  I  can  run  and  fetch  it  for  him  from  the 
shade." 

As  the  maiden  went  and  came  in  the  preparation  of 
the  morning  repast,  the  Indian  mother  could  hardly 
answer  her  bright  questions  for  the  knowledge  of  the 
night  before,  which  enveloped  her  as  in  a  storm-cloud. 

"  My  master  sleeps  long,"  the  girl  said.      "  I   have 

174 


WATER   CARRIERS. 


175 


been  to  the  door  of  his  hut,  and  he  rests  well,  for  I  can 
hear  no  sound,  even  of  heavy  breathing.     Was  the  feast 
late  in  breaking  up,  and  did  he  too  drink  teswin?     I 
met  the  neighbor  at  the  spring;    her  feet 
seemed  walking  on  mesquite  gum,  and  she 
said  her  husband  still  lay  like  a  log  near 
the  ashes  of  the  feast  fire.      I    know   my 
master  is  too  brave  and  strong  to  let  the 
spirit  of  the  drink  get  into  his  noble  brain 
and  deaden  it,  even  for  a  season." 

The  mother  answered  nothing,  but  went 
on  stirring  the  gruel  for  the  children,  who 
were  clamoring  for  their  breakfast.  When 
it  was  ready,  she  placed  the  smoking 
cajita  upon  the  ground  within  the  kitchen- 
BARREL  CACTUS,  ring,  and  provided  the  children  with 
dipper-like  gourds,  which  they  used  as 
a  combined  spoon  and  cup  to  such  good  purpose  that 
the  contents  of  the  bowl  had  been  nearly  all  consumed 
when  the  father  came  out  of  the  hut  and  greeted  his 
daughter  with  an  unusual  effusiveness,  which  she  ascribed 
to  his  joy  at  her  splendid  prospects. 

"  Bring  me  some  gruel  before  the  children  eat  it  all," 
he  directed ;  "  and  an^r  *^at  and  tortillas  which  may 
have  been  left  ov^r  from  the  °east.  I  have  some  trad- 
ing of  ny  gains  from  the  race  which  I  would  do  at  the 
next  p  leblo  before  there  are  others  about,"  he  added, 
in  exp. anation.  "It  is  we''  to  fill  the  stomach  when 
many  words  and  much  rveath  will  be  needed." 

Yet,  despite  this  assertion,  the  man  ate  what  the  girl 
placed  before  him  w'.n  but  little  relish,  and,  rising,  pre- 
pared to  leave  tuc  kitchen-ring  with  only  a  nod  to  his 
wife. 

176 


When  he  had  fetched  his  load  from  the  hut,  he  seemed 
doubtful  as  to  whether  he  would  give  it  to  Ampharita 
or  to  one  of  the  boys  to  carry;  and  the  girl  feared  he 
would  make  her  accompany  him.  In  fact,  he  called 
her,  and  she  trembled  as  she  approached  him ;  but  he 
only  seized  her  beneath  the  chin,  and,  looking  into  the 
bright  eyes,  patted  her  cheek  and  smoothed  her  long 
hair. 

This  renewed  caress  surprised  the  girl,  who  was  un- 
accustomed to  any  demonstration  of  tenderness  on  the 
part  of  her  father ;  but  she  soon  forgot  about  it  in  her 
joy,  when  he  pushed  her  away  with  a  sigh,  and  called 
to  Ismo :  — 

"  Come  along,  you  lazy  dog !  You  can  run  quick 
enough  to  see  a  race,  or  a  feast !  Take  the  load,  and 
let  us  be  off.  Your  sister  has  done  travelling  enough 
these  last  two  days ;  she  shall  remain  at  home  now  for 
a  season  with  the  women-folk." 

Ismo  dared  not  demur,  but  went  off  all  the  angrier, 
because  he  saw  his  elder  brother  seize  a  new  bow  and  a 
bundle  of  arrows  they  had  prepared  together  for  a  bird 
hunt  which  had  been  arranged  for  that  day  with  some  of 
the  other  boys. 

Ampharita  hastened  through  all  the  tasks  her  mother 
and  grandmother  suggested  ;  their  wants  seemed  unusu- 
ally numerous  and  complicated.  At  last,  they  could 
think  of  no  other  work,  and  she  fetched  the  large  jar  of 
fresh  cool  water  out  of  the  shadow,  and  called  softly 
at  the  door  of  the  cactus  hut;  but  she  received  no 
answer. 

"  How  late  he  sleeps  !  Perhaps  he  did  drink  some  of 
the  teswin  after  all,"  she  thought,  and  seated  herself 
beneath  the  porch  to  wait.  Her  master  sometimes  slept 


AMPHARITA   BESIDE  THE  CLOSED   DOOR   OF  THE   CACTUS   HUT. 


1/8 


late,  or  was  busy  with  calculations,  and  would  not  be 
disturbed ;  that  would  be  nicer  than  a  teswin  sleep. 
The  sun  rose  higher,  and  its  scorching  rays  fell  where 
she  sat;  but  she  did  not  feel  them.  She  was  reviewing 
in  fancy  her  dream-visit  to  the  white  man's  land,  and 
the  reanimated  picture  of  the  creations  of  her  imagina- 
tion entranced  her  as  it  had  done  the  previous  night. 

The  sun  crept  upwards,  higher  and  higher.  The  mid- 
day hour  approached.  She  sat  now  in  the  still  hot 
shadow,  oblivious  of  time,  until  a  horse-fly  stung  her 
hand,  and  aroused  her  to  her  environment. 

Looking  at  the  line  of  shadow,  she  started  anxiously. 
Could  anything  have  happened  to  the  Scientist?  She 
had  never  known  him  to  keep  his  door  closed  so  long. 
This  was  not  the  effect  of  teswaino.  He  had  complained 
of  fever  at  the  ranch  ;  could  he  be  ill  ? 

Rising,  she  approached  the  door,  and,  laying  her 
hand  upon  it,  she  allowed  her  fingers  to  close  upon  the 
upright  rod,  and  gave  it  a  gentle  pull.  It  obeyed  her 
touch. 

How  strange !  Her  master  had  never  slept  with  his 
door  untied ;  but  then  he  had  always  had  his  treasures 
with  him,  and  now,  as  they  were  at  the  ranch,  he  had 
nothing  to  guard.  Smiling  at  her  stupidity,  in  not 
having  thought  of  this  sooner,  she  entered  on  tiptoe, 
pulling  the  door  to  behind  her. 

Although  her  actions  had  been  swift  and  noiseless, 
her  mother  had  stealthily  watched  her  from  the  kitchen- 
ring,  and  felt  her  heart  almost  stop  beating  at  the 
thought  of  the  desolation  which  would  overcome  her 
gentle  child  on  finding  that  she  had  been  guarding  an 
empty  nest. 

All  was  still  in  the  direction  of  the  cactus  hut  and 

179 


the  moments  seemed  like  hours.  A  scream,  a  cry, 
would  have  been  a  mercy.  The  mother  could  not  stand 
the  suspense.  Looking  toward  the  young  child  who 
slept  beside  her,  she  gave  the  cradle  a  push  to  set  it  to 
rocking,  and,  running  across  the  intervening  space,  she 
looked  through  one  of  the  apertures  in  the  cactus  wat- 
tling, on  the  shady  side  of  the  house,  that  her  daughter 
might  not  perceive  her  shadow. 

As  soon  as  her  eye  became  accustomed  to  the  dark- 
ness, she  saw  Ampharita  crouched  beside  the  empty 
saccaton  couch.  The  heap  of  fresh  grass  lay  there,  with 
the  yucca  mat  spread  upon  it,  just  as  it  had  been  pre- 
pared the  night  before,  while  the  girl  passed  her  hand 
from  time  to  time  across  her  brow,  as  though  seeking 
to  remember  something. 

Ampharita  was  collecting  her  thoughts ;  then,  rising, 
she  methodically  examined  every  nook  and  cranny  of 
the  hut  to  see  if  she  could  find  a  vestige  of  its  occu- 
pancy by  the  white  man. 

Nothing  had  been  touched.  The  ollas  stood  just  as 
she  had  disposed  them  at  dusk,  full  to  overflowing  with 
water  which  had  grown  tepid  from  long  standing.  The 
yucca-root  and  bit  of  cloth  lay  beside  them.  There  was 
not  the  sign  of  a  boot-nail  upon  the  well-swept  earthen 
floor.  Everything  indicated  that  no  one  had  entered 
the  hut.  With  a  sigh  the  girl  turned  to  go  out. 

As  she  pushed  open  the  door,  her  mother  stood  be- 
neath the  porch. 

"  My  daughter,"  she  said,  raising  a  detaining  hand, 
"whither  art  thou  going?" 

1 "  I  will  be  back  very  soon,  my  mother,  and  do  your 
bidding.  Only  now,  oh,  let  me  go  to  the  other  huts ! 
I  will  work  doubly  when  I  return.  My  master  has  not 

1 80 


slept    in    his    hut  this    night.      Where,    oh,   where    can 
he  be?  " 

Ampharita  sped  along  the  dusty  path  between  the 
huts  to  the  Chief's  dwelling;  but  the  women  there 
knew  nothing.  The  Chief  and  medicine-men  were  rest- 
ing, and  might  not  be  disturbed  ;  the  women  would  ask 
them  when  they  awoke,  but  they  thought  that  they 
could  tell  nothing  new,  for  the  Scientist  had  been  seen 
last  with  her  parents. 

Ampharita  stopped  at  a  kitchen-ring  where  several 
women  were  seated,  with  their  children  playing  about 
them,  and  asked  if  any  of  them  had  seen  the  white 
shaman,  or  knew  where  he  had  slept  the  night  before ; 
but  they  too  shook  their  heads,  and  gave  a  negative 
answer. 

She  proceeded  thus  from  hut  to  cabin  and  cabin  to 
ring,  until  she  had  visited  the  whole  settlement ;  but  no 
one  could  help  her  in  any  way.  With  features  drawn  by 
anxiety  she  approached  her  home,  then  stopped  irreso- 
lute, and  her  mother  saw  her  turn  and  run  with  the 
fleetness  of  a  deer  past  the  remaining  houses,  and  out 
across  the  waste  land  towards  the  meza. 

The  Indian  woman  divined  what  her  daughter  was 
after ;  and,  wringing  her  hands,  she  called  her  own 
mother  into  the  hut,  and,  pulling  the  screen  of  grass 
close  across  the  opening,  she  told  her  what  had  passed 
the  night  before ;  and,  laying  her  aching  head  upon  the 
old  woman's  bony  shoulder,  she  wept  silently. 

Ampharita  had  meanwhile  found  the  horse.  He  whin- 
nied at  her  approach,  and  tugged  to  loosen  the  rope  by 
which  he  was  tethered  to  a  stone. 

She  knew  that  he  must  be  thirsty ;  and,  pausing  in 
her  anxious  quest,  she  led  him  to  the  arroyo  to  drink. 

181 


She  caused  him  to  enter  the  pool,  and  washed  his 
hoofs,  and  threw  water  over  his  head.  She  curried  his 
haunches  with  a  bunch  of  dried  roots  which  she  fetched 
from  a  hiding-place  beneath  a  stone,  and  combed  out 
his  long  mane  and  tail  with  a  pine-cone. 

Gradually  she  persuaded  herself  that,  since  the  horse 
was  there,  she  need  have  no  fear  about  his  master;  and, 
with  a  lighter  heart,  she  hummed  one  of  the  simple  airs 
the  white  man  had  sung  to  her,  and  sought  to  lengthen 
in  every  way  the  self-imposed  task,  that  the  hours  of  his 
absence  might  be  filled  out  with  work  for  him. 

For  evidently  the  white  man  had  felt  excited  by  the 
dance  and  feast,  and  had  walked  out  beneath  the  moon- 
light far  away  from  the  noisy  village,  where  sleep  had 
overtaken  him,  and  he  had  lain  down  to  rest.  He  would 
return  soon  for  food ;  but  perhaps  he  had  found  berries, 
or  prickly  pears,  or  had  noticed  some  new  growth  and 
was  studying  it,  which  would  detain  him  out  until  very 
late.  The  boys  from  the  bird  hunt  came  her  way  to 
drink  at  the  arroyo.  They  showed  her  the  netful  of 
birds,  and  told  her  where  they  had  been ;  and  she  asked 
them  if  they  had  met  her  master. 

They  all  said,  "  No  ;  "  and  her  eldest  brother  suggested 
mischievously  that  the  white  man  had  slipped  away  in 
the  night  to  be  rid  of  her. 

She  turned  pale  at  the  suggestion,  and  trembled  like 
an  aspen  ;  at  which  the  leader  of  the  band,  who  was  him- 
self fourteen  and  almost  a  man,  cuffed  her  brother 
until  he  howled,  and  said  it  was  a  silly  made-up  story, 
for  of  course  no  man  would  go  away  and  leave  such  a 
good  horse  behind.  It  took  a  stupid  girl  to  believe  any 
bit  of  nonsense  that  passed  through  the  brain  of  a  malev- 
olent stripling. 

182 


When  the  boys  had  gone  on,  she  led  the  animal  back 
to  the  meza;  but  her  light-heartedness  had  vanished, 
and  she  walked  slowly  as  she  went  back  into  the  village. 

Her  grandmother  was  mending  a  worn  gorrita,  and 
begged  her  to  come  and  sit  with  her  while  stripping 
some  ee-hooks ;  but  Ampharita  excused  herself  from 
staying  near  the  hut,  by  saying  that  the  odor  of  the 
feast  lurked  about  the  village,  and  she  would  go  out 
and  prepare  them  on  the  meza.  Her  grandmother  told 
her,  with  a  sigh,  to  do  as  she  wished ;  and  the  girl  dis- 
appeared again,  carrying  with  her  a  bundle  of  soaked 
martynia  pods. 

Seating  herself  beside  the  horse,  she  shredded  them, 
speaking  from  time  to  time  to  the  animal,  as  though  she 
thought  he  would  sympathize  with  her  and  be  interested 
in  the  surmises  about  his  master  to  which  she  gave 
utterance. 

The  old  woman  sighed  again  and  again,  as  she  wove 
industriously  until  it  was  too  dark  to  see,  even  on  the 
meza ;  and  Ampharita  returned  with  an  armful  of  split 
martynia  made  up  into  rings,  ready  for  use  in  gorrita 
weaving. 

The  girl  supped  in  silence,  and  went  to  sleep  in  the 
cactus  hut. 

The  next  day  she  hardly  touched  food.  Her  anxiety 
had  become  fixed ;  she  spent  the  hours  beside  the 
horse,  pacing  up  and  down  listlessly,  or  repeating  little 
prayers  and  incantations. 

At  evening,  when  her  father  returned  and  sent  Ismo  to 
call  her,  she  would  not  come  to  the  kitchen-ring  for 
supper.  So  the  Indian  himself  carried  her  out  a  bowl 
of  mush,  and  as  she  ate  it,  he  tried  several  times  to  tell 
her  about  the  departure  of  the  Scientist.  But  it  was 

183 


useless,  the  right  words  would  not  come  to  him.  So, 
telling  her  that  she  had  best  come  home  and  sleep  in 
their  own  hut,  and  that  it  was  not  seemly  for  a  maiden 
to  be  at  large  alone  after  dark,  he  arose  and  bade  her 
accompany  him,  but  she  cried  and  pleaded  so  patheti- 
cally to  be  allowed  to  remain  out  in  the  pure  air  beside 
the  animal,  that  he  could  not  insist ;  and  so  the  second 
night  after  the  feast  was  spent  by  the  Indian  girl  on  the 
meza  with  the  horse,  wakeful  and  silent,  a  dusky  senti- 
nel alert  in  the  darkness. 


-*• 


HER    MOTHER  WATCHED   HER   FROM   THE   KITCHEN-RING. 

Though  the  coyotes  howled  in  the  distance,  no  steps 
approached,  and  she  waited  and  watched  in  vain. 

In  the  morning,  she  came  to  the  kitchen-ring  to  per- 
form her  daily  tasks ;  but  she  led  the  pony  by  the  halter, 
and  all  day  long  he  stayed  with  her  in  the  village,  for 
she  would  not  allow  him  out  of  her  sight. 

Her  mother  gave  her  much  work ;  and  she  did  it  un- 

184 


complaining!}',  until  towards  evening  she  took  with  her 
the  maguey  fibre  and  carried  it  to  the  arroyo,  where  she 
pounded  and  washed  it,  while  the  horse  drank  the  water 
and  cropped  the  cool  leaves  greedily. 

Another  day,  and  she  seemed  the  shadow  of  herself. 
The  boys  ceased  to  tease ;  and  the  neighbors  whispered 
together,  as  the  gentle  maiden,  leading  the  horse,  passed 
in  and  out  among  them. 

All  night  long  her  mother  had  lain  sleepless,  ponder- 
ing upon  her  child's 
condition.  The 
strain  of  continual 
and  dread  anxiety 
was  almost  as  hard 
as  the  dreary  cer- 
tainty. The  girl,  she 
knew,  feared  that  the 
white  man  had  been 
killed  by  an  acci- 
dent; for  Ampharita 
had  begged  her  to 
ask  the  Chief  to  send 
out  an  expedition  in 
search  of  him.  An- 
other day,  and  her 
daughter  must  fall 
ill  or  go  mad.  She 
was  already  the  butt 

of  the  village  wit ;  for  gossip  is  as  rife  and  cruel  among 
the  Pima  Indian  women  as  among  their  white  and  black 
sisters.  Her  husband  had  told  her  he  could  not  find 
courage  to  hurt  the  girl  by  speaking;  and  so  she  de- 
cided to  break  the  news  to  the  child  the  next  morning. 

o 

i8s 


AMPHARITA    ALONE    WITH   THE    HORSE. 


At  dawn  Ampharita's  mother  aroused  the  grandam, 
and,  taking  the  two  youngest  children,  they  went  out 
upon  the  meza  in  the  early  morning  light. 

With  them  they  carried  food  ;  and,  seating  themselves 
near  the  girl,  who  leaned  in  a  dejected  attitude  against 
the  horse's  neck,  they  begged  her  to  untie  the  rope  with 
which  she  had  attached  her  wrist  to  his  bridle,  lest,  while 
she  slept  from  exhaustion,  the  animal  wander  away  from 
her. 

The  grandmother  finally  persuaded  her  to  eat  some 
of  the  gruel  they  had  brought;  and  the  little  ones 
caressed  her,  and  sought  in  vain  to  make  her  play. 

When  the  bowl  was  half  empty,  Ampharita  turned  away, 
and  would  have  risen  to  get  nearer  to  the  horse  ;  but  the 
grandmother  stopped  her,  and,  calling  to  the  older  child, 
induced  it  to  go  with  her  in  pursuit  of  salvia,  while  the 
mother,  holding  the  other  little  one  in  her  arms,  talked 
to  her  daughter. 

"  Ampharita,"  she  said,  very  gently,  "  you  think  ever 
of  the  stranger." 

"  Ay,  mother,"  answered  the  girl,  as  she  hid  her  face 
in  the  bend  of  her  arm.  "  He  is  dead  or  suffering,  and 
you  all  care  not.  He  cured  the  sick;  but  none  thinks 
of  him  now." 

"  Would  that  you  were  a  babe  again,"  said  the  poor 
woman,  as  she  stroked  the  free  hand  of  her  daughter, 
"  then  I  could  take  you  in  my  arms  and  croon  you  to 
sleep  upon  my  breast,  and  you  would  not  care  for  aught 
else,  nor  would  you  have  memory  from  one  watch  to 
another.  He  is  not  worth  your  thought,  my  child.  He 
is  not  dead ;  he  is  not  even  ill.  The  white  shaman 
loosed  himself  from  his  promise.  He  looks  upon  his 
given  word  as  water  that  can  be  poured  out  and  dried 

1 86 


up  quickly,  so  that  no  trace  remain.  He  has  gone  away 
utterly  and  forever." 

The  woman  could  not  lie  to  her  own  offspring,  so  she 
told  the  truth  as  quickly  and  simply  as  possible. 

The  girl  raised  her  head  and  shook  it,  while  point- 
ing to  the  horse  to  justify  her  denial  of  faith  in  her 
mother's  word ;  yet  she  was  deeply  grieved  at  the  lack 
of  trust  shown  in  the  stranger,  and  drew  away  her 
hand. 

"  Ay,  it  seems  so  to  you  and  me  because  we  are 
Indians.  But  what  is  a  horse  to  a  rich  white  man? 
There  are  thousands  where  he  comes  from.  He  said, 
too,  they  could  carry  hundreds  of  people  at  once,  and  spit 
fire  and  smoke.  He  left  the  horse  because  he  was  afraid 
that  you  would  follow  him  again  and  catch  up  with  him, 
if  there  were  not  something  of  his  to  hold  your  heart 
here  and  deceive  you,  as  this  poor  dumb  beast  has  done 
for  days.  Could  the  horse  have  made  you  understand, 
he  would  have  told  you.  Your  father  had  not  the  heart 
to  speak ;  but  I  felt  you  should  know,  and  seek  to  hide 
your  sorrow  as  beseems  a  wrell-nurtured  Indian  maiden. 
Your  head  is  hot,  my  daughter,  and  your  hands  are 
cold." 

The  girl  shivered  violently,  as  she  pushed  away  her 
mother's  hand  and  hugged  the  sleeping  child  passion- 
ately in  her  arms.  Her  mother  arose,  and  continued 
speaking  slowly,  with  the  tears  running  down  her 
cheeks. 

"  Come  to  the  hut,  my  dear  one,  and  I  will  make  a 
powerful  decoction  to  soothe  your  heart.  You  look  like 
a  bird  which  has  been  charmed  by  a  serpent,  or  a  doe 
that  is  caught  in  a  snare." 

Ampharita  staggered  to  her  feet,  and  looked  towards 

187 


the  distant  mountains.  She  stood  as  one  irresolute ; 
but  she  neither  wept  nor  spoke. 

Her  mother  threw  her  arms  around  her  and  called  to 
the  grandam ;  but  the  girl  gently  disengaged  herself, 
placed  the  child  in  her  mother's  arms,  and  with  the  sob 
of  a  wounded  deer  darted  away  in  the  direction  of  the 
mountains. 

The  heavy-hearted  Indian  woman  walked  to  the  place 
where  the  grandam  was  seated  with  the  other  boy ;  but  she 
had  no  voice  to  explain  to  her  what  she  had  said  to 

her  daughter.  It  seemed  as 
though  a  cord  still  bound  her 
heart  to  that  of  the  child  who 
was  speeding  away  to  hide 
her  sorrow  from  the  prying 
eyes  of  her  tribe.  She  pointed 
to  the  mountains,  and  watched 
the  graceful  figure  as  it  grew 

VICTIM. 

smaller  and  smaller,  until  it 

disappeared  in  a  cleft  between  two  cliffs.  She  had  but 
to  raise  her  voice  and  call,  for  half-a-dozen  urchins,  who 
had  come  out  to  gather  herbs,  to  scamper  after  the  girl 
and  fetch  her  back.  But  the  woman  thought  how  un- 
bearable would  be  the  fuss  and  chatter  of  the  village  to 
the  girl's  wounded  spirit,  and  so  she  let  her  go.  The 
song  of  the  birds  she  loved  might  give  her  consolation ; 
the  perfume  of  the  growing  thyme  descend  like  balm 
upon  her  wounded  spirit. 

"  Come,  mother,"  said  the  woman,  "  the  sun  grows 
hot;  my  man  and  the  boys  will  clamor  for  food  again 
before  we  have  prepared  it.  We  must  return  to  our 
work.  God  will  be  with  her  and  have  pity  on  her.' 

The  old  Indian  woman  arose,  and  they  walked  home- 

188 


TARANTULE  MYGALE  AND  THEIR 


ward  silently,  save  when  the  children  attracted  their  at- 
tention to  some  insect  or  flower  which  caught  their 
eyes. 

The  Scientist  completed  his  business  in  Chihuahua, 
and  arranged  for  his  mail  to  follow  him.  He  journeyed 
southward  by  easy  stages,  visiting  all  the  points  of  in- 
terest until  he  reached  the  City  of  Mexico,  early  in 
January. 

The  President,  on  learning  of  his  arrival,  sent  for  him 
at  once,  and,  after  apologizing  for  the  unfortunate  acci- 
dent which  had  robbed  the  world  of  the  material  fruits 
of  his  self-abnegation,  praised  him  for  his  endurance 
and  courage. 

The  carnival  was  in  full  swing,  and  his  young  blood 
glowed  with  the  feasting  and  revelry. 

The  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  dined  him,  as  did 
also  the  Academy  of  Scientists.  He  was  the  lion  of  the 
social  functions.  The  senoras  and  senoritas  sought  to 
ensnare  him  with  admiring  glances  from  their  large 
almond-shaped  eyes.  He  was  engaged  in  advance  for 
scores  of  dinners,  breakfasts,  and  suppers ;  and  if  at 
liberty  for  half  an  hour,  the  time  was  filled  with  sight- 
seeing, or  projecting  excursions  to  the  fascinating  his- 
torical sites  of  the  neighborhood. 

The  day  on  which  we  again  take  up  the  thread  of  the 
story  was  warm  for  the  season.  Golden  sunshine  flooded 
the  streets  of  the  City  of  Mexico. 

No  stray  breath  from  icy  Popocatapetl,  or  his  en- 
chanted wife,  Iztaccihuatl,  chilled  the  promenaders,  and 
the  good  and  bad  towns-folk  were  in  consequence  out 
in  force,  as  gay  as  on  the  occasion  of  a  fiesta. 

A  deputy  had  told  the  Scientist  to  await  him  in  front 

189 


of  the  post-office.  They  would  drive  out  to  a  little  inn 
at  Santa  Anita ;  for  the  woman  who  kept  the  place  was 
particularly  celebrated  on  account  of  the  way  she  cooked 
native  dishes.  Afterward  they  would  visit  the  Chinan- 
pas,  and  return  upon  the  old  Aztec  waterway  in  a  flower- 
bedecked  barge. 

The  Scientist  arrived  a  little  while  before  the  hour 
named,  and  looked  about  him,  interested  by  the  variety 
of  costumes  and  native  types. 

The  shrill  sound  of  street-cries  rent  the  dust-laden  air. 
People  hurried  into  the  post-office,  and  came  out  again 
absorbed  in  examining  their  letters.  The  large  vaulted 
hall  looked  dark  and  invitingly  cool  to  the  Scientist. 
He  stepped  almost  unconsciously  beneath  the  archway, 
and  his  eyes,  after  taking  in  the  orderly  interior,  were 
attracted  to  an  alphabetical  list  of  unclaimed  letters 
hanging  in  a  frame  which  he  almost  touched  with  his 
shoulder.  He  began  to  read,  his  eye  gliding  mechani- 
cally down  the  closely-printed  columns.  Suddenly  his 
blood  tingled. 

How  on  earth  could  his  name  have  come  there  !  Did 
he  really  see  straight?  Yes,  there  was  no  mistaking  the 
unusual  prefix  and  affix.  Who  could  have  written  to 
him  without  sending  the  letter  to  the  care  of  his  Lega- 
tion? The  Governor  of  Chihuahua,  or  one  of  the  hotel- 
keepers  in  whose  house  he  had  stopped  !  — but  they  did 
not  know  of  the  proper  affix,  for  he  had  never  signed 
his  whole  name.  In  perplexity  he  approached  the  win- 
dow and  showed  the  papers  contained  in  his  pocket- 
book  to  establish  his  identity  and  receive  the  mysterious 
communication. 

An  envelope  addressed  in  his  own  handwriting  was 
handed  to  him.  The  script  was  blurred  as  by  much 

iqo 


THE  TROGON. 


191 


handling;  the  postmarks  were  numerous.  But  the  in- 
stant he  touched  it  he  knew  whence  it  came. 

His  surroundings  and  engagements  were  forgotten, 
and  he  was  carried  back  to  the  far-away  pueblo  by  the 
sight  of  the  much-handled  envelope. 

Hurrying  along  the  street  to  the  Cathedral  Square, 
he  sought  out  the  most  retired  corner  of  the  Zocolo, 
where  he  dropped  upon  the  first  vacant  bench,  intent 
on  reading  his  letter  unobserved. 

After  a  few  introductory  remarks  and  polite  expres- 
sions of  thanks  for  the  communication  received  from  the 
Scientist,  the  priest  of  the  Pima  Bajas  wrote  as  follows : 

"  Ampharita  left  the  pueblo  on  learning  of  your  departure  ; 
that  is  to  say,  on  the  fourth  day  after  the  feast.  She  turned 
her  steps  towards  the  mountains,  where  she  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  accompany  you  on  the  hunt  for  strange  flowers  and 
insects.  At  night  she  did  not  return ;  and  her  mothei  waited 
hour  by  hour,  in  vain,  for  her  coming.  The  day  dawned  ;  her 
father  went  to  the  Chief;  and  when  he  heard  the  story,  the 
head  of  the  tribe  ordered  out  scouts  to  aid  him  in  searching  for 
the  lost  girl ;  but  these  scouts  and  others  returned  unsuccessful. 
After  a  few  days  the  Chief  went  out  himself;  and  they  sent  a 
runner  for  me  to  hasten  to  the  village  and  help  pray  for  the 
wanderer's  return.  But  she  was  not  found,  neither  did  she 
return  alone. 

"  The  whole  tribe  sought  diligently.  She  had  disappeared, 
and  left  no  trace.  Some  thought  that  the  instinct  of  her  de- 
votion had  been  so  strong  that  she  had  found  and  followed 
your  trail,  despite  your  well-devised  flight ;  so,  after  a  while, 
the  search  was  abandoned,  and  none  but  her  mother  grieved  ; 
for  were  she  with  you,  all  felt  she  must  be  content. 

-  Alas  !  a  fortnight  after  her  departure  some  of  the  fleetest 
young  braves,  while  hunting,  followed  a  wounded  stag  which 

192 


led  them  into  that  far-away  barranca  where  the  ceaseless  water 
is  so  sweet  and  cold,  and  to  which  Ampharita  had  guided  you 
in  pursuit  of  rare  plants.  There  they  found  her.  She  lay  half- 
hidden  in  a  recess  of  the  cliff.  Her  limbs  were  composed  as 
those  of  a  child  who  sleeps.  One  hand  clasped  the  golden 
cross  upon  her  breast,  while  the  other  lay  beside  her,  palm 
upwards.  Her  face  was  peaceful ;  her  half-closed  eyelashes 
seemed  to  quiver  in  the  sunlight.  On  her  brow  rested  a 
glorious  butterfly,  which  fluttered  upward  and  away  as  the 
young  men  approached.  They  did  not  seek  to  move  her  ;  but 
two  of  them  remained  behind  to  guard  her,  while  the  others 
fetched  her  parents  and  the  tribe.  How  can  I  tell  you,  or  do 
you  already  understand  that  there  was  no  life  in  her  delicate 
form  ?  I  performed  mass  there  in  the  barranca ;  and  they 
buried  her  where  they  found  her,  with  all  the  ceremony  re- 
quired by  Holy  Mother  Church  and  the  customs  of  her 
people. 

"  The  Chief  says,  '  A  white  snake  she  fondled  stung  her 
heart.' 

"The  child's  father  and  mother  know  that  you  asked  about 
her,  and  that  I  am  writing  to  you.  They  say  :  '  Tell  him  our 
child  is  forever  at  rest.  The  great  white  man  need  give  no 
thought  to  the  heart  that  can  no  longer  feel.  He  is  rich  ;  may 
he  be  happy,  with  no  regret  to  disturb  his  peace  or  cloud  his 
wisdom  and  power  in  the  strange  land  of  the  white  man.' 

"  No  wonder  they  grieve.     I  know  not  of  another  Ampharita. 

"  There  is  nothing  left  to  tell,  so  I  remain,  sir, 

"Your  obedient  servant  in  God, 

Cl    #       *       *     " 

The  Scientist  could  not  see  the  name  at  the  bottom 
of  the  writing  through  the  tears  which  had  welled  into 
his  eyes. 

"  Ay,  truly  I  know  not  of  another  Ampharita.  Can 
this  be  the  end  of  all  her  serviceable  sweetness ;  have  I 
13  193 


whom  she  loved  enjoyed  the  blessing  of  her  unselfish 
ministerings  for  the  last  time?"  he  exclaimed,  crum- 
pling the  letter  into  a  ball  within  his  hand  as  he  would 
have  sought  to  crush  an  insect  which  had  stung  him. 
He  clasped  his  hands  and  bowed  his  head  upon  them. 
The  self-questioning  was  so  agonizing  to  his  spirit  that 
he  listened,  hoping  for,  yet  fearing,  some  interruption 
he  could  cheat  his  fancy  into  believing  a  sign. 

The  air  was  full  of  sound.  Voices  called,  sang, 
whistled,  laughed,  scolded,  or  cursed  in  every  key. 
Whips  cracked,  hoofs  clattered,  carts  and  cabs  rattled 
upon  the  pavement  that  surrounded  the  Zocolo.  The 
Scientist  sat  beneath  the  shady  verdure  of  the  square, 
and  he  felt  more  terribly  alone  than  he  had  ever  felt  on 
the  darkest  and  loneliest  night  upon  the  prairies.  He 
looked  about  him.  No  one  was  in  sight  save  a  lemon- 
ade-pedler  at  the  end  of  the  path  absorbed  in  offering 
refreshments  to  passers,  the  shuffling  of  whose  feet  an- 
nounced their  presence  on  the  other  side  of  a  myrtle 
hedge.  Two  beggars  dozed  upon  a  neighboring  bench ; 
they  had  not  moved  since  the  Scientist  had  passed  them 
before  taking  his  seat. 

Opposite,  across  the  narrow  gravel  path,  was  a  foun- 
tain surrounded  by  a  wealth  of  blooming  plants,  and  the 
musical  gurgle  of  the  rising  and  falling  waters  mingled 
with  the  rumble  of  wheels  as  the  carriages  hurried  across 
the  plaza,  or  the  rhythmic  sound  was  lost  amid  the  harsh 
quarrelling  of  shrill  discordant  voices.  A  thick  screen 
of  dark  foliage  surrounded  the  fountain  and  the  bench 
on  which  he  sat.  He  might  have  imagined  himself 
miles  away  from  the  city  but  for  the  lemonade-vendor, 
the  beggars,  and  the  noise.  • 

Two  little  sparrows  stood  upon  the  brink  of  the  low 

194 


basin,  drinking  from  the  troubled  waters  which  dashed 
quite  over  their  heads  as  ring  after  ring  broke  against 
the  worn  edge.  Gold-fish  darted  in  and  out  beneath 
the  silvery-crested  wavelets.  They  snapped  at  bright 
drowning  insects,  and  with  their  tails  threw  high  the 
sparkling  drops,  which  were  shattered  into  spray  be- 
neath the  torrent  of  waters,  or  mingled  with  the  shower 
that  fell  outside  the  margin  of  the  fountain  upon  the 
ever  moist  vegetation. 

The  Scientist  pressed  his  hand  against  his  brow.  He 
was  bewildered,  anxious,  curious,  and  sought  to  drown 
the  deep  pain  in  speculation.  He  had  seen  men  die, 
but  he  was  experiencing  his  first  bereavement. 

"  For  what  end  are  we  born  with  intuition,  mind,  and 
memory,  as  well  as  instinct  and  passions?  If  one  of 
these  fishes  were  to  die,  the  others  would  swim  on  mer- 
rily beneath  its  lifeless  body.  If  that  sparrow  disap- 
peared, its  mate  would  find  a  companion  in  the  next 
hedge.  Why  does  man  alone  suffer  intensely  the  pangs 
of  separation,  and  remain  comfortless  in  the  presence  of 
death?" 

Again  he  looked  about  him,  and  again  his  eyes  were 
attracted  to  the  fountain. 

He  observed  over  the  watery  surface  a  prismatic 
band,  which,  starting  under  the  spray,  arched  itself 
downwards  and  towards  the  right,  until  the  bit  of 
beautifully-tinted  rainbow  was  lost  amid  the  flaming 
colors  of  the  blossoms  on  the  other  side  of  the  fountain. 
His  eyes  followed  it  up  and  down,  held  by  the  outline 
of  the  graceful  aerial  ribbon.  It  moved  and  quivered 
while  the  violet  and  yellow  glowed  in  lambent  force, 
and  the  red  was  almost  lost  sight  of  against  the  brown 
waters  of  the  basin. 

195 


How  strangely  the  rainbow  swayed  and  trembled  ! 

"  Life  is  just  like  that  fountain,"  he  thought.  "  We 
are  all  pressed  through  a  narrow  tube.  That  is  called 
an  education  !  With  delight  we  rush  forth  to  liberty, 
overjoyed  at  our  freedom.  We  dash  up  into  the  sun- 


A   BURIAL   HUT. 


shine,  and  shimmer  like  jewels  in  the  radiance  of  health, 
priding  ourselves  on  what  we  take  to  be  our  individual 
desirableness;  whereas  it  is  only  a  reflected  glamour, 
which  quickly  disappears  as  the  inexorableness  of  life 
presses  us  down,  and  we  are  swamped  in  a  mass  of 

196 


human   dulness,   and  then  we  disappear,  entirely  reas- 
similated  by  elemental  nature." 

The  water  jet  rose  and  fell  in  soft  modulations  that 
responded  to  the  breathing  of  his  own  lungs.  The  out- 
line of  the  fountain  grew  indistinct ;  his  eyes  slowly 
closed,  and  in  its  place  he  saw  Ampharita  standing  be- 
side a  freshly  made  burial-hut,  while  behind  her,  instead 
of  the  myrtle  hedge,  towered  the  luxuriant  wall  of  the 
barranca.  Between  him  and  the  girl  sped  the  well- 
remembered  arroyo,  singing  as  it  went;  for  the  lullaby 
of  the  fountain  was  in  his  ears,  while  the  noise  of  the 
city  was  lost  in  the  hum  of  innumerable  insects,  the  call 
and  carol  of  gorgeous  birds.  These  flitted  about  Am- 
pharita, or  settled  on  her  hand  while  she  talked  to  them 
soothingly  or  fed  them  with  the  grain  and  tortillas  which 
she  took  from  the  dishes  of  funeral  meats  strewn  about 
in  front  of  the  little  hut. 

Ampharita  was  not  observing  him.  She  repeated  the 
carol  of  the  birds  or  broke  into  little  snatches  of  song, 
such  as  he  had  taught  her,  and  others  far  sweeter. 

Presently  she  looked  up.  The  birds  became  agitated 
and  flew  into  the  bushes,  whence  they  called  to  each 
other  from  time  to  time.  Ampharita's  singing  ceased ; 
the  hum  of  the  insects  grew  fainter,  but  over  the  rocks 
plashed  on  the  water  of  the  arroyo. 

Ampharita  extended  her  arms  to  where  a  man's  figure 
had  appeared  amid  the  growth  on  the  side  of  the  bar- 
ranca. He  descended  and  advanced  towards  her,  glid- 
ing with  rapidity,  but  without  apparent  effort. 

"  Hail !  Welcome,  my  master,  I  have  waited  for  you 
so  long,  oh,  so  wearily  long,  here  alone  in  the  bar- 
ranca," said  Ampharita,  in  a  voice  exquisitely  tender 
and  musical. 

197 


The  Scientist  stared ;  Ampharita  was  not  looking  at 
him.  Neither  she  nor  her  companion  took  any  more 
notice  of  him  than  if  he  had  been  a  stone  in  the  depths 
of  the  arroyo. 

The  new-comer's  skin  was  white.  He  had  golden 
hair  and  a  light  beard ;  there  was  a  certain  resemblance 
to  himself  about  the  man,  but  he  was  far  handsomer. 
He  was  nobler,  stronger  looking  in  every  way ;  and  the 
Scientist  felt  a  keen  pang  of  jealousy  at  hearing  the  girl 
call  the  stranger  by  the  familiar  epithet. 

"  You  promised  to  teach  me  so  many  things,  and  I 
have  passed  through  so  much  here  alone.  Never  mind, 
now  you  have  come  to  me,  you  will  explain,  although 
you  will  wonder  too,"  she  said,  with  a  pretty  roguish 
movement,  "  when  I  tell  you  how  well  I  understand  all 
you  have  thought." 

"  How  could  I  pretend  to  teach  you,  when  I  knew 
nothing  really  about  life,"  mournfully  answered  the 
handsome  youth.  "  It  was  the  world  and  the  things  of 
the  world  that  I  knew.  I  prized  knowledge  above  in- 
dividuality. I  knew  not  even  the  meaning  of  the  word 
Wisdom.  You,  child,  have  been  my  teacher !  "  And 
taking  her  slender,  brown  hand  he  kissed  it  reverently 
and  pressed  it  to  his  brow  as  if  seeking  the  blessing  of 
the  maiden. 

"  How  could  the  Indian  maiden  teach  a  White 
Shaman?"  queried  the  girl,  wonder  and  joy  diffusing 
her  idealized  countenance. 

"  You  were  a  silent,  zealous,  observant  pupil.  You 
knew  much  that  I  did  not,  and  you  craved  to  learn  all 
that  is  good.  You  had  the  open  eye  to  mark  the  cause. 
The  effect  to  which  the  worldling  gives  all  the  thought, 
needs  no  subtlety :  it  is  evident  enough." 

198 


"  You  mean  that  what  we  feel  sure  is  true  and  right  is 
better  than  what  the  Shamen  teach  us  to  believe?  Is 
it  not  so,  my  master?"  queried  the  maiden. 

The  Scientist  felt  a  keener  pang  at  hearing  the  old 
term  he  had  learned  to  cherish  applied  to  one  who 
looked  so  much  more  worthy  than  he  of  the  maiden's 
reverent  love. 

The  handsome  youth,  so  strangely  like,  yet  unlike 
himself,  sank  upon  a  stone,  where  he  remained  seated  in 
a  thoughtful  attitude.  Ampharita  seated  herself  Pima 
fashion,  and  began  to  wind  a  wreath,  plucking  the  num- 
berless star-like  blossoms  about  their  feet,  which  the 
Scientist  had  not  before  observed. 

The  youth  proceeded  to  speak  in  a  low  intense  voice. 
The  syllables  reached  and  thrilled  his  listener  despite 
the  song  of  the  brook.  He  seemed  to  address  himself, 
yet  he  looked  ever  and  anon  at  Ampharita,  and  the 
Indian  maiden  bent  her  head  in  apprehension. 

"What  is  our  civilized  learning?  What  is  our  phil- 
osophy? They  are  the  servants  of  the  love  of  the 
world.  Our  existence  is  an  unknown  mystery,  unsolv- 
able  by  our  science.  '  Thou  hast  hidden  these  things 
from  the  knowing  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them 
unto  babes.'  Our  many  books  crush  the  spirit.  Eyes 
grow  dull  that  see  only  printed  words.  Incessant  analy- 
sis of  matter  atrophies  the  soul.  Death  is  the  most 
wonderful  of  all  the  changes  in  evolution.  Science  stops 
at  the  grave  as  if  the  circle  of  life  \vere  completed,  as 
if  the  component  parts  were  dispersed  and  reabsorbed, 
as  if  a  man's  entity  were  gone ;  but  at  that  moment,  the 
being  —  released  —  feels  the  first  throb  of  perfect  life." 

Ampharita's  laugh  interrupted  the  youth  with  a  sweet 
sound  that  was  as  the  chiming  of  celestial  bells.  "You 

199 


THE    BARRANCA. 


2OO 


use  strange  words,  but  I  know  the  throb  of  perfect  life," 
she  said,  —  "  no  more  misunderstandings,  but  a  sense  of 
gladness,  of  truth,  and  of  peace." 

"  Ah,  if  the  human  soul  could  always  manifest  itself!  " 
the  youth  continued.  "None  can  be  fully  useful  while 
the  spirit  is  struggling  desperately  to  make  itself  felt ! 
It  seeks  to  reach  out  and  touch  other  souls  that  together 
they  may  work  forcefully  for  good,  but  it  is  hemmed  in, 
pushed  back,  suffocated,  crushed.  At  last  it  casts  off 
the  flesh,  and  then  it  becomes  a  spring  of  human  move- 
,ment,  by  the  memory  of  its  incarnate  loveliness." 

The  youth  paused  and  gazed  at  Ampharita ;  she 
looked  back  at  him,  puzzled.  She  answered  by  refer- 
ring to  what  she  might  have  understood. 

"  My  soul  recognized  yours,  and  loved  itfrom  the  first," 
she  said,  "  and  wanted  to  be  with  you  always.  Yes,  your 
kindness  taught  me  much  —  much  for  which  there  are 
not  even  words  in  the  language  of  the  Pimas.  But  I  am 
just  learning  the  real  meaning  of  life  and  death,  and  there 
is  much  that  is  beautiful  in  it  you  never  spoke  of." 

"  I  did  not  speak  of  it,  for  I  did  not  know  it.  I  knew 
nothing  but  my  poor  science  and  the  prejudices  of  my 
world.  The  view  I  took  of  events  and  of  human  inter- 
course was  one-sided.  What  I  called  my  self-develop- 
ment was  supreme  selfishness.  The  things  that  are 
eternal  did  not  figure  in  my  calculations.  I  was  living 
near  one  whose  helpfulness  was  a  marvel  of  divine  mani- 
festation, whereas  I  esteemed  her  presence  merely  be- 
cause of  the  comfort  it  gave  me  in  my  labors.  I  never 
understood  that  she  was  a  messenger  of  the  Most  High 
mutely  showing  me  that  my  selfishness  was  a  malignant 
force  in  the  Master's  world,  and  that  I  was  as  clashing  and 
destructive  in  His  eternal  order  as  a  vagrant  meteor." 

20 1 


The  maiden  had  arisen,  and  at  these  last  words  she 
made  a  gesture  which  betokened  that  while  she  com- 
prehended, she  had  never  given  him  accusation.  The 
youth  also  was  now  standing.  To  the  Scientist,  who 
trembled  before  the  splendor  of  his  appearance,  his  eyes 
glowed  with  light  and  his  stature  seemed  to  dominate 
the  whole  valley. 

"  Nay,  Ampharita,"  went  on  the  strange  voice,  rich 
and  strong  as  the  upper  notes  of  an  organ,  "  I  forgave 
not  myself.  Truth  had  walked  with  me,  and  I  had 
known  her  not,  wrhen  I  consented  to  your  torture.  I 
was  taking  counsel  of  meanness,  and  I  was  violating  the 
everlasting  glory  of  life.  My  transgression  consumed 
all  my  confidence,  and  I  was  not  able  to  look  up.  Then 
my  eyes  saw  what  they  before  had  not  fathomed.  My 
ears  caught  the  vibrations  of  my  own  soul.  My  intel- 
lect came  to  itself.  I  found  the  truth  in  the  simplicity 
of  love.  Outside  of  the  law  of  brotherhood  I  ceased  to 
have  a  wish  to  wonder.  The  hands  and  the  feet,  I 
came  exultingly  to  feel,  are  not  the  intellect's  menials, 
but  children,  whom  it  is  happiness  to  exalt  and  to 
cherish." 

As  the  solemn  meaning  of  this  epiphany  was  borne 
in  upon  him,  the  Scientist  felt  powerless  to  move  or 
speak.  Invisible  tendrils  reached  up  from  the  rocky 
soil  about  him  and  tied  him  to  the  earth.  A  chill  crept 
over  him,  causing  him  to  tremble.  Strange  colors  ap- 
peared between  him  and  the  towering  youth,  like  the 
strands  of  a  magic  web.  He  heard  the  gurgle  of  the 
water  increase  until  it  sounded  like  the  rush  of  an  en- 
gulfing river.  The  youth  and  Ampharita  seemed  now 
to  be  regarding  him,  and  waiting  for  his  expression,  yet 
utterance  was  impossible. 

202 


Ampharita  held  up  the  wreath,  which  gleamed  like  a 
crown  of  stars,  and  paused  for  his  word.  How  very 
real  she  seemed  as  she  stood  gazing  at  him  with  her 
luminous  tender  eyes,  but  so  beautiful,  so  ethereal,  com- 
pared with  the  docile  child  he  had  abandoned !  He 
bowed  before  the  divinized  essence  of  a  loving  woman, 
and  yet  he  could  not  speak. 

At  last  with  a  violent  effort  he  broke  the  paralysis. 
"  My  God,  I  promise  !  What  kind  of  a  blind  creature 
have  I  been  all  these  years?  Was  a  human  sacrifice 
needful  to  bring  me  to  myself?  \Vas  it  needful  that 
the  love  of  an  Indian  maiden  should  have  —  "  but  the 
thought  remained  uncompleted.  Ampharita,  with  a 
glad  cry,  crowned  herself  with  the  stars.  Her  beauty 
grew  to  transcendent,  indescribable  loveliness,  while  her 
vestures  shone  like  jewels.  The  noble  youth  seemed  to 
move  across  the  arroyo  without  its  waters  touching  his 
feet,  and,  laying  his  hands  upon  the  Scientist's  shoulder, 
he  pointed  to  Ampharita  as  she  and  the  barranca  dis- 
appeared in  a  flash  of  light. 

The  chill  passed  from  the  Scientist's  limbs,  but  not 
the  numbness.  Hot  tears  flowed  from  his  eyes,  and 
they  seemed  to  him  tears  of  great  joy.  He  opened  his 
eyes  and  saw  before  him  the  fountain  falling  into  its 
rippling  basin,  while  the  noise  of  the  city  was  every- 
where in  the  air,  commingling  with  the  musical  plash  of 
the  waters.  The  beggars  upon  the  neighboring  bench 
were  awake,  and  chatting  together  as  they  ate  coarse 
bread  and  mangoes.  The  lemonade-pedler  came  down 
the  path  and  offered  him  a  drink,  which  he  accepted 
eagerly ;  nothing  before  had  ever  seemed  to  him  as  pure 
and  refreshing.  The  fish  darted  back  and  forth  in  the 
fountain.  He  found  a  bit  of  biscuit  in  his  pocket  and 

203 


crumbled  it  into  the  water,  where  they  eagerly  nipped 
it  up.  The  rainbow  had  faded  from  the  spray ;  the  two 
little  birds  had  flown  away. 

The  Scientist  rose  slowly,  his  head  ached,  and  yet  his 
heart  was  lighter  than  it  had  been  since  he  left  the 
Pimas.  He  thought  of  Ampharita's  death,  but  the 
poignant  anguish  had  been  replaced  by  the  sense  of 
changed  purpose.  He  dipped  his  hands  into  the  foun- 
tain and  bathed  his  brow.  As  he  looked  up  into  the 
blue  vault,  where  the  sun  had  long  since  passed  the 
zenith,  he  felt  the  exaltation  of  the  new  gravitation. 

"  Love  is  eternal.  Such  is  the  Divine  Law.  Self- 
renunciation  must  be  the  bride  of  him  who  strives,  and 
his  closest  friend  must  be  his  conscience." 

The  Scientist  stood  for  an  instant  longer.  His  eyes 
fell  upon  the  crushed  letter,  which  he  had  dropped. 
Picking  it  up  again  he  carefully  smoothed  and  folded  it, 
and,  slipping  it  into  the  soiled  envelope,  he  laid  it  away 
in  his  pocket-book.  Then  he  looked  at  his  watch,  and, 
seeing  that  the  hour  of  his  appointment  had  long  passed, 
he  walked  thoughtfully  across  the  public  garden  in  the 
direction  of  the  Calle  San  Francisco. 


BUTTERFLIES. 


204 


EXPLANATORY    NOTES. 


THE  Pima,  or  Piman,  form  one  of  the  great  linguistic  stocks  of 
North  American  Indians  which,  in  the  course  of  centuries,  has 
been  very  much  subdivided.  The  Pimas  of  the  reservations  in 
the  Salado  and  Gila  valleys  of  Southern  Arizona  compose  one  of 
the  best  agricultural  tribes  of  North  American  Indians.  They 
are  known  as  the  Upper  Pimas,  or  Pima  Alta,  while  the  Mexican 
tribes  known  as  the  Nevome,  or  Pima  Baja,  of  whom  the  story 
treats,  —  the  Papago,  the  Sobaipuri,  the  Opata,  the  TarahumaYi 
the  Cahita,  the  Cota,  and  the  Tepehuan,  —  also  belong  to  it.  The 
area  they  occupy  extends  from  the  Salado  and  Gila  rivers  in 
Southern  Arizona  over  a  part  of  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  a  large 
part  of  Northwestern  Mexico,  embracing  a  portion  of  the  States 
of  Sonora,  Zacatecas,  Chihuahua,  Sinaloa,  Durango,  and  part  of 
Jalisco.  The  collective  number  of  the  race  in  Mexico  is  esti- 
mated by  the  government  authorities  at  85,000  souls,  but  explorers 
aver  that  the  Pimas  are  much  more  numerous.  Those  of  the  high- 
lands are  stalwart  and  prolific,  increasing  constantly  in  number, 
while  those  of  the  unhealthy  and  burning  lowlands  are  dying  out. 
Some  authorities  maintain  that  the  Pimas  belong  to  the  same  lin- 
guistic group  as  the  Shoshonean  and  the  Aztec  or  Nahuatl.  The. 
Pimans  are  frequently  mentioned  in  the  chronicles  of  the  first 
Spanish  explorations  towards  the  North  and  West.  These  de 
scribe  them  as  peaceable,  industrious,  hospitable,  and  easily  con- 
verted to  Christianity.  In  evidence  of  which  the  first  Jesuit  census 
taken  in  1678  gives  the  number  of  Christianized  alone  as  8,300. 
Latterly  many  have  lapsed  into  heathenism,  the  missionaries 

205 


having  neglected  them,  yet  several  tribes  still  hold  to  the  Chris- 
tian traditions,  and  their  members  assemble  regularly  .on  Sunday 
in  the  dilapidated  chapel  of  the  village,  and  repeat  in  unison  the 
few  fragments  of  prayer  they  remember. 

The  Pimans  of  the  Baja  tribe  inhabit  the  slopes  of  the  Sierra 
Madre.  They  are  of  medium  height,  alert,  agile,  and  fleet  of  foot. 
They  have  long  straight  hair,  which  sometimes  waves;  their  skin 
is  of  a  dark-brown  color,  paling  to  yellow  in  the  shady  barrancas; 
their  cheek  bones  prominent,  and  their  features  resemble  in  all 
respects  those  of  the  Indians  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico. 

GOVERNMENT.  —  The  tribe  is  governed  by  the  chief,  as  the 
family  is  by  the  father.  The  father  consults  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren with  regard  to  all  important  family  questions,  as  the  chief 
consults  the  heads  of  the  families  with  regard  to  matters  of  tribal 
interest.  More  powerful  than  the  chief,  however,  is  the  shainan, 
or  medicine-man,  who  is  believed  to  control  the  life  celestial,  as 
well  as  that  terrestrial,  of  every  man,  woman,  and  child  of  the 
tribe.  He  is  the  poet,  priest,  physician,  historian,  prophet,  and 
judge;  his  duties  are  many  and  varied,  while  his  privileges  and 
perquisites  are  endless.  He  is  believed  to  have  direct  communi- 
cation with  the  gods,  and  his  dictates  are  law.  His  actual  knowl- 
edge of  medicine,  contrary  to  the  usual  belief,  is  extremely  limited, 
consisting  for  the  most  part  of  ritualistic  formulas  and  ceremonies 
of  amazingly  elaborate  detail,  which  produce  a  great  impression 
upon  the  mind  of  the  patient,  and  are  consequently  magical  or 
thaumaturgic  in  character.  The  real  treatment  of  the  sick  is  done 
by  his  subordinates,  old  women  called  roakari,  who  use  simple 
remedies,  and  are  quite  successful.  When  the  malady  is  beyond 
their  skill,  or  the  patient  is  rich,  the  offices  of  the  shaman  are 
invoked.  These  are  very  expensive,  and  rated  according  to  the 
elaboration  and  the  rarity  of  the  performance.  At  times  the 
shaman's  charges  amount  in  value  to  several  hundreds  of  dol- 
lars, consisting  of  gifts  in  clothing,  provisions,  and  highly  prized 
articles. 

INDIAN  FEASTS.  —  Shamanistic  genius  has  invented  most  ela- 
borate ceremonies  for  all  occasions  ;  such  as  the  formal  acceptance 
of  the  new-born  infant  as  a  member  of  the  family,  the  harvest  feast 
(for  details  of  which  see  Chapter  VI.),  the  incantations  and  dances 

2O6 


for  ram,  for  good  crops,  for  fine  weather,  and  those  against  devas- 
tation and  illness;  finally,  the  disposal  of  the  dead,  and  the  pro- 
vision for  their  spiritual  welfare. 

FUNERAL  CUSTOMS.  —  Three  separate  ceremonies  are  performed 
in  honor  of  a  male  within  a  year  after  his  demise,  and  four  in 
memory  of  a  woman  or  female  child.  The  last  ceremony,  which 
is  the  most  important,  takes  place  on  the  anniversary.  The  first 
one  occurs  three  days  after  death,  and  is  the  funeral  proper.  The 
corpse  is  disposed  in  an  upright  sitting  posture,  with  the  knees 
drawn  up  to  the  chin  and  clasped  by  the  arms,  as  are  those  of  the 
Peruvian  mummies.  The  corpse  is  then  carried  to  the  chosen 
place  of  sepulture,  and  around  it  is  built  up  a  hut  of  twigs  and 
grasses  well  daubed  with  mud  to  prevent  the  intrusion  of  beasts 
of  prey.  The  construction  is  the  same  as  that  of  a  dwelling,  but 
naturally  much  smaller,  and  without  any  doorway.  When  the 
walls  are  completed,  it  is  roofed  over,  and  near  it  is  set  up  a 
cross,  while  fresh  dishes  of  food  and  drink  are  daily  brought  and 
placed  before  it  for  the  use  of  the  dead.  In  the  regions  near  the 
forest,  the  burial  hut  is  almost  always  constructed  within  its  pale ; 
in  the  desert,  the  sepulchre  is  erected  not  too  far  from  a  water- 
course so  that  the  adobe  can  be  easily  mixed.  These  tombs  do 
not  crumble  away  until  the  body  is  reduced  to  dust.  Any  utensils 
the  departed  may  have  set  store  by  are  left  for  a  while  near  the 
grave,  but  the  people  are  too  poor  to  bury  much  with  the  corpse. 
The  funeral  dances  occur  after  sundown,  and  resemble  the  feast 
described  in  Chapter  V.,  save  that  an  especial  invocation,  or  rather 
exhortation,  of  the  dead  is  pronounced  by  all  the  weeping  assist- 
ants in  turn.  The  same  musical  instruments  are  used. 

DRUMS  AND  FLUTES,  DANCE  RATTLES.  —  The  dance  rattle 
is  made  from  the  small  desert  gourd.  A  circle  about  an  inch  in 
diameter  is  removed  from  around  the  stem,  and  a  circular  disk, 
slightly  larger  than  the  opening,  cemented  over  the  hole  with  mes- 
quite  gum.  A  short  handle  of  sehuara  cactus  wood  is  thrust 
through  the  hole  cut  in  the  cemented  top  plate  and  the  bottom  of 
the  gourd.  The  noise  is  produced  by  a  few  small  pebbles.  This 
rattle  is  carried  in  the  hand  of  the  dancer,  and  is  shaken  with  a 
circular  motion  of  the  forearm,  which  causes  the  pebbles  to  rotate 
inside  the  shell.  Leg  rattles  are  also  used,  and  excellent  time  is 

2O7 


kept  to  the  shuffling  of  the  feet,  and  to  the  drum  and  flageolet 
played  by  the  musician,  who  sits  near  the  fire. 

THE  DRUM.  —  The  drum  is  composed  of  a  circular  rim  of  wood 
or  bark  with  two  rawhide  drum  heads,  strung  on  rings  of  mesquite 
wood,  and  a  continuous  thong  passed  back  and  forth  over  the  mes- 
quite rings,  by  which  the  drumheads  are  tightened.  It  is  about 
thirteen  inches  in  diameter  and  four  inches  in  depth.  The  drum  is 
tuned  by  warming  each  head  in  turn  over  a  small  heap  of  wood 
coals  until  it  is  in  harmony  with  the  flute.  These  two  instruments 
are  played  by  the  same  individual. 

REED  PIPE. —  The  usual  flageolet  or  reed  pipe  is  about  twenty- 
two  inches  long,  and  is  made  of  two  sections  of  reed  (Phragmites 
Com  munis')  bound  with  sinew.  The  head  or  upper  part  has  the 
usual  whistle-shaped  sound-hole.  The  plug  is  a  section  of  reed 
held  against  the  upper  portion  of  the  tube  by  a  peg.  The  space 
between  the  upper  portion  of  the  tube  and  the  reed  forms  the  air 
passage,  and  the  space  between  this  and  the  lower  portion  of  the 
tube  is  filled  by  the  lower  lip.  The  lower  half  of  the  pipe  has  two 
finger  holes,  sixteen  and  seventeen  and  one-eighth  inches  from  the 
sound  hole.  There  is  a  thumb  hole  fourteen  and  three-eighths 
inches  from  the  sound  hole.  The  diaphragms  in  the  reed  are  all 
removed,  with  the  exception  of  the  last  lower  one,  which  has  a 
quarter-inch  perforation  through  it.  The  Indians  also  make  a 
magic  flute  out  of  the  same  quality  of  reed.  This  consists  of  two 
sections  of  reed  in  the  middle,  and  one-half  section  at  each  end. 
The  diaphragm  of  the  upper  section  is  removed,  but  that  of  the 
middle  one  remains,  and  two  elongated  holes  are  made  on  opposite 
sides  of  this  partition,  with  a  notch  cut  between  them  in  the  dia- 
phragm to  form  the  air  passage ;  a  strip  of  any  flexible  material  is 
placed  over  this  so  that  its  lower  edge  is  on  a  line  with  the  lower 
edge  of  the  last  hole.  The  finger  serves  at  times  as  a  cap.  It  has 
three  other  finger  holes,  and  the  lower  diaphragm  is  punctured. 

The  Christians  are  apt  to  share  the  belief  of  the  pagans  that  the 
soul  of  the  departed  enters  into  an  animal  rather  than  into  Purga- 
tory. For  this  reason  they  not  only  place  food  near  the  sepulchre, 
but  also  at  the  memorial  cross  situated  within  fifty  yards  of  the 
former  residence  of  the  dead.  Around  this  cross  they  dance  as 
often  as  possible,  or  pay  others  to  dance,  which  is  just  as  effica- 

208 


cious.  This  encourages  the  departed,  and  induces  the  god  of 
death  to  take  his  soul  out  of  the  animal  and  carry  it  home.  They 
strew  ashes  about  the  cross  to  see  by  the  foot-prints  in  what  kind 
of  beast  the  departed  is  lodging.  If  he  has  led  a  good  life,  they 
believe  he  has  insured  for  himself  a  quick  deliverance,  but  if  he 
has  not,  they  pay  all  the  more  to  the  shaman,  and  dance  with  all 
the  greater  ardor  to  hasten  the  bad  man  on  his  way  to  Paradise,  — 
for  as  long  as  he  is  in  an  animal  he  is  capable  of  hurting  any  one 
against  whom  he  becomes  angered.  Sorcerers  and  the  childless 
poor  who  have  none  to  dance  for  them,  or  to  pay  others  to  do 
so,  are  exposed  to  the  agony  of  wandering  forever  in  the  form  of 
animals. 

Owing  to  the  superstitions  which  they  have  encouraged  among 
the  natives,  the  shamen  charge  also  large  sums  for  sanctifying 
charms  and  amulets.  These  are  generally  deposited  in  box-like 
baskets  made  of  split  agave  leaves. 

FAMILY  FETICH.  —  A  specimen  family  fetich  is  reproduced  on 
page  in.  It  consists  of  four  bunches  of  golden  eagle  feathers 
(aquila  Chrysaetos)*  and  one  bunch  of  prairie  falcon  feathers 
(falco  Me.ricanus\  and  one  hollow  stem  of  reed  nine  inches 
long  and  three  sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  very  much  worm- 
eaten.  The  feathers  are  wrapped  in  strips  of  coarse  calico,  printed 
in  patterns  which  came  into  fashion  about  twenty-five  years  ago. 
The  Papago  family  (a  branch  of  the  Pimas),  from  which  this  fetich 
was  obtained,  alleged  that  the  essential  part  —  the  feathers  and 
reed — had  been  in  the  possession  of  one  family  for  three  genera- 
tions. The  box-like  basket  of  split  agave  containing  the  fetich  is 
probably  quite  recent.  The  fetich  was  obtained  with  much  diffi- 
culty and  expense  after  a  long  pow-wow  in  which  all  the  ancients 
of  the  village  took  part.  These  asserted  that  its  powers  are  great 
enough  to  protect  a  whole  tribe. 

PERSONAL  FETICH.  —  One  of  these  is  represented  as  wrapped 
in  a  coarse  travel-stained  cloth  ready  to  be  slung,  by  means  of  a 
rope  of  maguey  fibre,  to  the  waist  or  shoulder,  that  it  may  be 
carried  by  its  possessor  as  a  protection  from  danger  in  travelling 
and  hunting.  This  particular  fetich  is  called  among  the  Indians 
"  killed  and  eagle."  It  contains  some  of  the  feathers  of  the  first 
full-grown  eagle  captured  by  a  young  brave.  In  a  land  where  the 
!•*  2O9 


arms  of  offence  and  defence  are  rude,  such  an  act  of  prowess  is 
much  extolled,  for  it  generally  involves  a  personal  combat  of  long 
duration  and  many  painful  wounds. 

ARROW  STONES  AS  CHARMS.  —  Another  potent  fetich  consists 
of  a  quartzite  stone  grooved  for  the  straightening  of  the  arrow. 
The  stone  is  heated,  and  the  twig  which  is  to  serve  as  an  arrow  is 
passed  rapidly  back  and  forth  therein  with  a  rotary  motion  until 
all  irregularities  are  scorched  away.  The  larger  groove  is  destined 
for  polishing  war  and  big  game  arrows,  while  the  smaller  is  for 
bird  arrows.  The  stone  arrow-head  accompanying  it  is  of  Apache 
origin.  The  Indians  believe  that  the  soul  of  the  arrow,  like  that  of 
the  human  being,  resides  in  the  head,  and  is  beneficent  or  malig- 
nant, —  so  that  by  preserving  the  benignant  arrow-head,  which  has 
been  shot  at  a  Piman  by  an  Apache  or  other  enemy  without  striking 
the  mark,  it  will  protect  him  and  warn  away  all  brother  arrow-heads 
that  they  harm  not  its  possessor.  This  arrow-head  and  stone  was 
worn  by  its  possessor  attached  to  his  belt  wrapped  tightly  in  the 
cloth  which  is  represented  near  it. 


GAMES. 

FOOT  BALL.  —  Another  fruitful  source  of  revenue  for  the  shaman 
is  the  game  of  foot  ball,  for  which  the  Indians  have  a  passion.  The 
competitors  believe  that  incantations  alone  will  fit  or  unfit  them  for 
success,  and  so  the  words  of  the  medicine-men,  more  than  those  of 
the  chiefs,  direct  the  contest.  A  foot  ball  game  is  described  in 
Chapter  V.  The  foot  balls  are  made  of  mesquite  wood,  shaped 
into  a  rude  sphere,  which  the  men  dexterously  pick  up  with  their 
toes  and  cast  to  great  distances.  In  the  contests  between  women 
a  flattened  mesquite  crotch  is  used.  Other  sports  which  the 
Indians  enjoy  are  riding,  shooting,  hunting,  and  fishing. 

GAMING-BONE.  —  For  the  hot  and  for  the  rainy  season  they 
have  several  gambling  games.  The  gaming-bone  (composed  of 
one  of  the  hock  bones  of  the  American  bison)  is  used  in  playing  a 
game  called  "  Tan-wa."  The  game  is  played  by  two  persons  who 
sit  facing  each  other,  four  or  five  feet  apart.  The  bone  is  twirled 
into  the  air  out  of  the  thumb  and  forefinger,  the  back  of  the  hand 
being  held  upward.  The  position  of  the  bone  when  it  falls  on  the 

2IO 


ground  controls  the  count  in  the  game.  So  long  as  the  player 
succeeds  in  throwing  the  pitted  side,  or  "  cow-hoof,''  as  it  is  called, 
upward,  he  retains  possession  of  the  bone,  and  with  each  throw 
wins  one  bean  from  a  pre-arranged  number  equally  divided  among 
the  players.  The  sides  do  not  count  in  the  play,  and  the  thrower 
may  play  again  and  again  without  forfeiting  the  bone  unless  he 
throws  the  flat  side  (opposite  the  ''cow-hoof")  upward,  when  the 
bone  goes  to  his  opponent  to  throw  under  the  same  conditions. 
The  winning  of  the  entire  number  of  an  opponent's  counters  con- 
stitutes a  game. 

WA-PE-TAIKH-GUT.  —  The  game  of  Wa-pe-taikh-gut  consists  of 
three  parts,  namely  :  First.  Four  single  joints  of  reed  (Phragmites 
Communis]  each  about  7^  inches  long  and  i  inch  in  diameter,  of 
which  one  end  is  open,  the  other  closed  by  the  diaphragm  of  the 
joint.  They  are  marked  with  small  squares,  cut  in  simple  pat- 
terns on  the  face  of  the  cylinders.  By  these  designs  they  are 
separated  into  pairs  called  the  "Old  People"  and  the  "Young 
People." 

Second.  A  scarlet  chirocote  bean,  each  player  usually  possess- 
ing his  private  bean. 

Third.  One  hundred  grains  of  corn,  or  a  greater  number,  as  may 
be  determined  by  the  players  prior  to  beginning  the  game.  Two 
contestants  usually  engage  in  the  play,  though  any  number  may 
enter  the  same  game.  Before  the  game  proper  begins,  an  initia- 
tory struggle  takes  place  between  the  two  players  to  gain  posses- 
sion of  the  reeds.  Each  of  the  contestants  takes  a  pair  of  reeds, 
and  holding  them  vertically  in  one  hand,  with  the  opening  up, 
rapidly  passes  the  other,  in  which  a  chirocote  bean  is  held,  over 
the  opening,  dropping  it  in  one  of  them  when  he  considers  the 
adversary  sufficiently  confused  by  the  motion.  Each  fills  his  reeds 
full  of  sand  from  a  small  heap  collected  for  that  purpose,  and 
throws  them  down  before  his  opponent.  Each  then  chooses  one 
of  the  other's  prostrate  reeds,  thought  to  contain  the  bean.  If 
both  fail,  or  both  succeed,  in  finding  the  bean  in  the  same  throw, 
the  hiding  operation  is  repeated.  If  one  succeeds  and  the  other 
fails,  the  foui  reeds  go  to  the  fortunate  guesser,  and  the  game 
begins. 

The  possessor  of  all  the  reeds  repeats  the  passes  with  the  bean 
over  their  open  tops,  fills  them  with  sand,  and  throws  them  down 

21  I 


in  front  of  his  antagonist,  who  separates  them  into  pairs,  usually 
the  "  Old  People  "  and  "  Young  People,"  though  it  is  not  compul- 
sory to  so  pair  them.  The  guesser  crosses  a  pair,  by  placing  one 
above  the  other  at  right  angles,  and  selects  one  of  the  uncrossed 
reeds  of  the  other  pair  (the  one  thought  to  contain  the  bean),  and 
pours  the  sand  from  it.  If  he  succeeds  in  finding  the  bean  in  this 
reed,  all  the  reeds  immediately  go  to  him,  and  he  in  turn  performs 
the  operation  just  described,  his  opponent  doing  the  guessing.  If 
he  fails,  the  position  of  the  reed  containing  the  bean  counts  so 
many  grains  of  corn  to  the  man  who  placed  the  bean ;  the  top- 
crossed  reed  counting  ten,  the  under  crossed  six,  and  the  single 
reed  four. 

In  beginning  the  game  the  counters,  or  grains  of  corn,  are  all 
placed  at  one  side,  and  each  player  draws  his  winnings  from  this 
pile  or  bank  until  it  is  exhausted,  when  the  exchange  is  made 
directly  from  the  winnings  of  the  players,  until  one  or  the  other 
has  lost  all  his  kernels.  The  possessor  of  all  the  grain  becomes 
the  winner  of  the  game. 

So  long  as  the  player  fails  to  guess  in  which  reed  is  the  bean, 
his  opponent  continues  to  hide  the  bean  in  the  sand  he  pours  into 
the  reeds. 

GHIXG-SKOOT.  —  This  game  is  played  by  means  of  four  sticks 
painted  red  on  one  side,  and  marked  with  black  lines  of  numeral 
and  sex  significance  on  the  other. 

Second.  By  a  rectangle  marked  on  the  ground,  usually 
about  twelve  by  eight  feet,  having  holes  or  pockets  along  the 
sides. 

Third.  By  moving  pieces  called  horses,  which  are  moved  into 
various  pockets  determined  by  the  numerical  value  of  the  sticks 
thrown. 

Fourth.    By  a  hammer-stone  to  drive  the  sticks  into  the  air. 

This  is  a  gambling  game  in  which  two,  three,  or  four  players 
may  engage,  playing  as  individuals,  or  as  partners  in  a  four-handed 
game.  In  the  play  the  sticks  are  held  vertically  bunched  in  the 
right  hand,  and  struck  from  underneath,  on  their  lower  ends,  by  a 
stone  grasped  in  the  left  hand.  The  blow  shoots  them  into  the 
air,  and  the  position  of  the  upturned  faces  and  backs  determines 
the  number  of  holes  or  pockets  the  horses  may  be  moved  along 
the  rectangle. 

212 


The  stick  count  is  as  follows  : 

When  the  two  backs  and  two  fronts  of  the  four  sticks  come  up 
it  equals  2. 

When  three  fronts  and  one  back  of  the  four  sticks  come  up  it 
equals  3. 

When  three  backs  and  the  "  Young  Man  "  come  up  it  counts  4. 

All  fronts  up  count  5. 

When  three  backs  and  the  "  Old  Woman  "  come  up  it  counts  6. 

All  backs  count  10. 

When  three  backs  and  the  "  Old  Man"  come  up,  it  counts  15. 

If  the  sticks  touch  or  fall  on  one  another  the  throw  must  be 
repeated. 

THE  RECTANGLE.  —  Along  the  sides  of  the  rectangle  are  holes 
or  pockets,  ten  in  number,  counting  the  corners  each  time  ;  the 
quadrant,  or  place  called  the  house  or  kee,  has  five  holes  not  count- 
ing the  corners. 

Counters,  or  pieces  called  horses,  are  used  in  moving  along  the 
pockets,  the  move  being  determined  by  the  numerical  throw  of  the 
marked  sticks.  Two  horses  are  usually  used,  though  any  number 
previously  agreed  on  may  be  put  into  play. 

The  horses  are  put  into  play  consecutively,  and  by  alternate 
throws  of  the  players.  A  throw  of  less  than  five  (  Yon-fa)  which 
does  not  carry  the  horses  out  of  the  door,  prevents  a  player  from 
entering  another  horse  until  his  aggregate  throws  are  five  plus,  thus 
putting  his  horse  into  the  rectangle  proper. 

After  all  the  horses  of  a  single  contestant  are  in  play,  he  may 
move  the  same  horse  continuously. 

In  counting  the  pockets,  from  the  door  to  either  of  the  nearest 
corners  is  fifteen.  It  is  optional  with  the  player  whether  he  turn 
to  the  left  or  right  upon  leaving  the  door,  though  he  must  move 
his  horse  around  the  rectangle  in  the  same  direction  after  once 
starting. 

If  "  X  "  throws  fifteen,  moving  to  "a,"  and  "W"  throws  the 
same  number,  enabling  him  to  move  to  the  same  point,  he  "kills  " 
or  throws  "  X's  "  horse  out  of  the  play,  and  must  start  his  piece 
over  again;  and  also,  if  he  should  throw  fourteen  he  accomplishes 
the  same  result  (there  is  no  one  in  the  stick  count).  However,  if 
"  X  "  should  get  to  "  c  "  and  "  W  "  throw  ten  from  "  house  " 
and  get  to  "d"  he  does  not  "kill"  him.  If  on  the  next  throw 

213 


"W"  throws  fourteen  and  "X"  meanwhile  has  not  moved  from 
"c  "  he  "kills"  him. 

A  horse  must  run  entirely  around  the  rectangle  and  back  into 
the  house  pockets,  where  he  is  safe  from  being  "killed";  but  to 
make  him  a  winning  piece  the  exact  number  to  count  to  the  door 
is  required.  A  two  throw  is  considered  out. 

The  object  of  the  game  is  to  safely  carry  all  the  horses  around 
the  pockets  and  out  again  at  the  door  ;  the  first  player  succeeding 
in  this  being  declared  the  winner. 

CLOTHING. 

The  costume  of  the  girls  and  women  has  been  described  in 
chapter  second.  The  clothing  of  the  boys  and  men  consists  gen- 
erally of  a  breechclout,  or  short  piece  of  drapery  in  cotton  cloth, 
supported  around  the  waist  by  an  aloes  cord.  For  warmth  (the 
fall  of  temperature  at  evening  is  excessive),  blankets  with  a  hole 
in  the  centre  through  which  to  pass  the  head  are  donned,  or  the 
Pimans  wrap  themselves  in  blanket  as  do  the  Indians  of  the  North. 
For  head-covering  some  possess  conical,  broad-brimmed  Mexican 
hats,  but  as  a  rule  a  band  of  plaited  grass,  or  a  strip  of  cotton 
cloth  is  wound  around  the  bare  head  to  keep  the  strands  of  long 
hair  out  of  the  eyes. 

SANDALS.  —  Cow-hide  sandals  are  universally  worn.  A  strap 
of  doeskin  about  two  inches  broad,  pierced  at  either  end,  is  passed 
through  two  slits  in  the  sandal  to  form  a  support  for  the  ankle. 
Through  a  hole  in  the  sole,  placed  bsneath  the  root  of  the  big  toe, 
a  long  leathern  thong  is  passed,  and  wound  about  the  ankle  and 
passed  through  the  holes  in  the  deerskin  strap. 

SPURS.  —  The  men  and  women  of  the  Sierra  Madre  alike  ride 
bareback  or  with  saddles.  They  use  spurs  which  are  made  from 
a  sharpened  mesquite-wood  crotch,  and  furnished  with  leathern 
tie-strings  at  the  end  of  the  forks.  The  Indians  near  the  settle- 
ments purchase  iron  and  silver  spurs. 

PAPOOSE.  — The  Indian  baby  is  swaddled  much  as  is  the  infant 
of  the  Orient  or  of  the  Old  World.  It  is  laid  in  an  infant  carrier 
about  twenty-four  inches  long  and  eight  inches  wide.  The  frame  is 
made  of  bowed  mesquite-wood,  held  in  place  by  short  crosspieces 

214 


of  wood,  notched  at  the  ends,  and  tied  on  by  strips  of  doeskin  or 
cloth.  On  this  bow  is  spread  a  mat  of  plaited  yucca  leaves,  and 
the  child  is  bound  upon  it  with  doeskin  thongs.  A  ring  of  plaited 
yucca  leaves,  about  eleven  inches  in  diameter,  is  attached  around 
the  head  of  the  cradle  to  protect  the  infant's  eyes  from  the  sun. 

CRADLE.  —  Another  species  of  cradle  is  made  by  bending  a  sap- 
ling one-half  inch  in  diameter  and  six  feet  long  into  an  arch,  and 
bringing  the  two  ends  together,  fixing  them  in  place  by  a  buckskin 
tie.  The  kite-shaped  frame  thus  made  is  thirty  inches  long  by  four- 
teen inches  wide.  Eight  thin,  flat  pieces  of  wood  are  tied  trans- 
versely across  the  frame  two  or  three  inches  apart,  and  are  held 
in  position  with  thongs  of  buckskin,  cloth  strips,  and  sinew.  A 
single  long  cord  of  buckskin  is  tied  to  the  frame  near  the  centre  of 
one  side.  The  infant,  wrapped  in  swaddling-clothes,  with  bare  feet 
and  head  exposed,  is  firmly  lashed  to  this  frame  by  the  long  tie 
cord.  A  stick  attached  to  the  apex  of  the  bow  is  planted  on  the 
ground,  and  at  the  slightest  touch  the  child  see-saws,  this  stick 
and  the  crossed  points  of  the  sapling  serving  as  rests. 

STOOL.  —  The  need  of  chairs  and  stools  seems  never  to  have 
been  felt  by  the  Indians,  although  stools  are  found  among  them, 
probably  constructed  for  the  use  of  the  priests  and  of  Mexican 
visitors.  The  stool  in  the  illustration  is  composed  of  thirty-five 
pieces  of  wood  from  ten  to  thirteen  inches  in  length;  thirty- 
three  of  ocatiya  cactus,  one  of  split  sehuara  cactus,  and  one 
piece  is  missing.  Almost  square,  it  is  built  up  in  log-house  fashion 
by  notching  each  stick  near  either  end,  and  alternating  the  parallel 
sides  in  superposition,  having  the  notches  fitted  into  each  other  at 
right  angles.  The  seat  is  composed  of  ten  crosspieces  laid  close 
together.  The  entire  frame  is  held  in  place  by  rawhide  lashings 
at  the  crossing  of  each  stick  with  another,  and  is  exceedingly 
weighty. 

HUNTING.  —  The  Pima  Bajas  are  very  fond  of  hunting.  They 
are  good  shots,  and  very  cunning  at  snaring  game.  Formerly  they 
used  only  the  bow,  but  of  late  the  aboriginal  weapon  has  been 
relegated  to  the  boys,  and  most  of  the  men  are  possessed  of  old- 
fashioned  rifles. 

Two  or  three  times  a  year  a  battu  takes  place,  participated  in 
by  most  of  the  tribe,  but  as  a  rule  the  hunting  is  done  singly  or  in 

215 


small  parties,  moving  forward   in  a  semi-circle,  and  driving  the 
game  before  them. 

FISHING.  — The  tribal  fishing  parties  are  also  great  events  All 
the  able-bodied  of  the  tribe  then  go  into  camp  by  one  of  the  large 
streams,  which  they  poison  temporarily  by  throwing  into  it  large 
quantities  of  palo  de  flecha  (Sebastiana  palmieri).  (See  descrip- 
tion of  flora.)  This  stuns  the  fish,  which  rise  to  the  surface,  so 
that  the  fishermen  catch  them  in  their  hands  or  land  them  by  drag- 
ging the  stream  with  a  seine  formed  of  blankets  sewn  together.  At 
other  times  the  natives  go  out  alone,  and  fish  by  means  of  a  baited 
bent  bone  or  cactus  pin  bent  into  a  hook  attached  to  a  line  made 
of  agave  twine. 

CATTLE  REARING.  —  The  Pima  Indians  rear  cattle,  ponies, 
sheep,  goats,  pigs,  and  fowls.  They  tan  skins,  following  about  the 
same  system  as  that  in  use  among  the  more  northern  Indians. 
They  have  domesticated  dogs  and  cats,  as  well  as  birds  which 
they  have  caught  when  young  and  keep  in  cages. 

FOOD.  —  They  eat  beef,  mutton,  goat,  pig,  deer,  and  small  game, 
birds,  vermin,  fish,  cereals,  cacti,  wild  roots,  and  berries.  The 
women  do  the  cooking.  The  meat  is  generally  boiled  to  strings 
and  eaten  very  fresh.  They  have  no  grindstones,  and  the  maize 
and  various  beans  and- seeds  are  beaten  to  hominy  or  flour  in  a 
stone  mortar  by  means  of  a  stone  pestle,  called  by  the  natives 
metates. 

PESTLE  AND  MORTAR.  —  A  large  smooth  stone  of  volcanic 
bowlder,  which  is  somewhat  concave  on  one  side,  is  selected,  and 
sunk  into  the  ground  near  the  uk-sd,  or  kitchen  ring.  A  regular 
round  depression  is  then  produced  by  the  housewife,  who  indus- 
triously pounds  the  concave  surface,  and  through  constant  use 
the  stone  becomes  worn  into  a  smooth,  deep  bowl.  Naturally 
the  older  the  mortar  the  more  perfect  the  depression.  The  bowl 
varies  somewhat  in  size,  six  inches  in  depth  and  eight  inches  in 
surface  breadth  being  a  good  average.  The  outside  dimension  is 
roughly  about  15  by  18  by  10  inches.  The  top  rises  but  little 
above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  the  surrounding  clay  having 
been  mixed  with  ashes,  puddled  and  stamped,  is  reduced  to  a  hard, 
smooth  winnowing-floor  about  four  feet  in  diameter.  The  girls 
and  women  pound  the  seeds,  maize,  and  mesquite  pods  to  flour 

2l6 


with  the  heavy  pestle,  which  is  grasped  in  both  hands  and  raised 
above  the  head,  whence  it  strikes  down  into  the  mortar.  The 
women  squat  upon  the  ground  in  a  most  uncomfortable  position 
with  their  feet  drawn  under  them,  and  pound  away  for  hours. 
During  the  arduous  operation  the  hulls  are  removed  from  the  rlour 
by  winnowing. 

KNEADING-TKOUGH.  —  The  flour  is  mixed  with  water  in  the 
kneading  trough,  which  is  made  of  mesquite  wood,  to  contain  the 
dough  while  being  worked,  as  pottery  vessels  are  not  sufficiently 
strong  to  stand  the  pressure.  Kneading-troughs  are  usually  about 
thirty  inches  long  by  twelve  inches  wide.  Other  wooden  dishes  are 
sometimes  made,  such  as  thin,  circular,  concave,  or  elliptical  leg- 
less platters  or  troughs  with  the  rudimentary  legs,  seen  in  the 
illustration. 

TORTILLA  STONE.  —  The  dough  is  usually  made  into  tortillas, 
a  species  of  thin,  dry  cake.  The  rolling-out  takes  place  upon  a 
flat  stone  with  raised  edges,  which  is  slightly  tilted  forward.  The 
edges  hold  in  the  dough,  and  the  fragments  fall  into  a  basket 
placed  at  the  lower  end  of  the  stone.  The  roller  is  wooden. 

HEARTH.  —  The  cakes  are  cooked  on  the  Mat,  heated  stones  of 
the  hearth.  These  are  enclosed  by  three  pointed  ones  set  on  end 
to  hold  the  earthenware  pot  or  olla. 

UK-sA  (KITCHEN  RING).  —  The  cooking  is  done  within  an  en- 
closure known  as  the  kitchen  ring  ^ik-sa),  which  is  built  of  sap- 
lings set  upright  save  for  a  wide  ingress,  and  surrounded  by  a 
bundle  of  sacaton  grass  or  of  fagots,  so  as  to  protect  the  fire  from 
being  blown  about  by  the  wind. 

THE   DWELLING. 

The  men  of  the  Pimas  gather  the  material  for  the  dwellings, 
although  as  a  rule  the  women  carry  it  to  the  village  on  their  backs, 
using  the  "  kee-ho,"  or  carrying  basket;  the  men  also  do  the  build- 
ing of  all  save  the  natal  kees. 

THE  KEE,  —  SACCATON  HUT.  —  The  simplest  dwelling,  and  also 
the  most  picturesque,  is  constructed  of  the  saccaton  grass  which  is 
found  throughout  the  region,  and  makes  a  most  excellent  thatch.  It 

217 


is  strong,  long,  and  glossy,  and  a  new  kee  shimmers  in  the  sun  like 
satin.  It  is  erected  by  planting  eight  stripped  mesquite  saplings 
in  two  parallel  rows,  and  interlacing  them  to  form  an  arch.  Other 
saplings  are  tied  to  these  horizontally,  leaving  an  opening  in  the 
centre.  The  ties  are  made  of  yucca  fibre.  Bunches  of  grass  are 
set  up  closely  around  the  sapling  frame,  and  held  in  place  by  pass- 
ing yucca  ties  in  and  out  through  the  grass  wall  and  around  the 
sapling  binders,  so  that  the  grass  may  be  tied  tightly  to  them,  and 
thus  form  a  firm,  thick  wall.  Other  saplings  are  then  laid  horizon- 
tally outside  of  the  thatch,  and  fastened  in  the  same  manner.  The 
yucca  ties  are  passed  in  and  out  by  means  of  a  long  wooden 
needle  sixteen  inches  in  length,  made  from  schuara  cactus  wood. 
The  head  of  the  needle  is  elliptical,  and  about  half  an  inch  in  its 
greatest  width ;  the  eye  is  cut  half  an  inch  from  the  top,  the  rest 
of  the  needle  is  nearly  round,  tapering  to  a  blunt  point.  A  grass 
or  leaf  house  is  always  called  a  kee,  and  kees  are  constructed  with 
especial  ceremonies  to  serve  at  child-birth  and  for  the  dead.  Some 
kees  are  much  larger  than  others  and  have  a  smoke-hole  in  the  top. 
The  evenings  and  mornings  are  very  cold  in  the  Sierra  Madre, 
and  a  fire  is  frequently  kindled  in  the  centre  of  the  hut  to  warm  its 
proprietors,  who  sleep  around  in  a  circle  with  the  head  to  the  wall 
of  the  hut.  The  door  of  a  kee  is  composed  of  a  grass  hurdle,  and 
is  drawn  across  the  opening  when  the  family  has  retired,  or  it 
consists  simply  of  an  old  bed-mat. 

CACTUS  HOUSE.  —  The  cactus  house  is  one  degree  better  than 
the  kee.  It  is  constructed  out  of  mesquite  poles,  or  split  stems  of 
the  schuara  cactus  wattled  with  the  long  straight  stems  of  the 
ocatiya  cactus.  A  cactus  house  is  flat-roofed,  calked  with  mud 
and  pebbles.  It  generally  possesses  a  rude  porch,  beneath  which 
is  a  wattled  door  called  "  jonta,"  swung  on  leathern  hinges.  The 
roof  serves  as  a  storing  place  for  all  the  extra  pots,  baskets,  and 
implements  of  the  family. 

GRANARY.  —  Here  are  often  placed  the  native  granaries,  — 
large  baskets  formed  like  inverted  beehives,  and  roomy  as  hogs- 
heads. They  are  made  of  twisted  cornstalks  or  split  willow, 
wound  into  a  thick  cable  and  sewed  together  one  row  upon  another 
until  the  desired  bulk  is  reached.  A  lid  of  the  same  material  is 
fitted  to  this  receptacle,  and  when  the  family  absents  itself  a 

218 


"hickori"  or  fetich  is  deposited  within  to  guard  it,  the  cover 
sewed  on,  and  the  crevices  daubed  with  clay  on  which  the  Indian 
makes  his  mark.  Then  he  goes  away,  satisfied  that  on  his  return 
he  will  find  his  property  intact. 

ADOBE  BRICK.  —  Along  the  R'io  Gila,  in  Arizona,  are  to  be  seen 
ancient  ruins  of  adobe  mud.  These  edifices  were  built  not  of 
separate  brick,  but  of  soft  mud  poured  between  brush  retaining- 
walls  placed  along  the  permanent  structure.  The  mud-plastered 
grass  and  cactus  huts  resemble  these  more  than  do  the  modern 
adobe  houses  made  from  mud  bricks,  shaped  by  hand,  and 
strengthened  by  foreign  ingredients,  such  as  sand,  small  pebbles, 
straw,  corncobs,  etc.  The  mud  bricks  are  usually  about  a  foot 
in  length,  four  inches  in  depth,  and  six  inches  in  width.  They  are 
laid  in  courses  with  mortar  of  soft  mud,  while  no  attention  is  paid 
to  breaking  the  joints  evenly,  and  the  houses  though  ugly  are 
strong.  They  are  innovations,  however,  introduced  among  the 
Indians  by  the  Spanish  missionaries 

ADOBE  HOUSE-CASITA.  —  The  houses  are  never  over  one 
story  in  height,  and  seldom  have  more  than  a  single  doorway  and 
perhaps  a  small  window-hole  near  the  top  of  the  wall.  The  roof 
is  constructed  by  laying  mesquite  poles  or  split  schuara  cactus 
(Cereus  giganteus)  stems  across  the  walls,  covering  them  with 
grass  and  earth.  Adobe  houses  standing  alone  generally  possess 
a  rude  sun-shelter  or  porch,  consisting  of  vertical  posts  and  cross- 
beams covered  with  brush  and  mud. 

HUNTING  SHEDS.  —  When  hunting  or  fishing  in  the  barrancas 
the  Indians  rapidly  construct  lean-tos  out  of  a  few  saplings  tied 
together,  with  one  end  resting  against  the  wall  of  the  gorge,  and 
roofed  with  boughs.  Here  an  entire  family  will  live  for  months 
until  the  necessities  of  agriculture  or  the  inclemency  of  the  season 
compels  a  return  to  the  village. 

POTTERY-MAKING.  —  The  Papago  and  Pima  Indian  women  are 
manufacturers  of  large  quantities  of  pottery  which  they  sell  or 
trade  in  the  nearest  American  and  Mexican  towns,  often  carrying 
an  immense  load  of  it  many  miles  across  the  desert  on  their  backs 
in  a  heavily  laden  kee-ho.  The  standard  vessel  of  commerce  is  a 
deep  round-bottom  vase,  with  symmetrically  curved  sides  and  flaring 
lip,  holding  anywhere  from  two  to  fifteen  gallons. 

219 


These  vessels  are  commonly  known  as  "  ollas^  and  they  are 
used  by  the  whites  as  well  as  the  Indians  for  cooling  water.  Glazed 
jars  of  the  same  shape  and  shallow  bowls,  large  and  small,  form 
the  culinary  and  table  service  of  the  Indians,  who  all  dip  into  the 
pot  in  which  the  meal  has  been  prepared. 

The  raw  material  of  the  water-cooler  is  compounded  of  yellow  and 
white  clay,  sifted  sand,  and  horse  manure,  the  oxidation  of  which 
in  firing  produces  the  porosity  of  the  ware.  In  preparing  the  clay 
for  the  Indian  cooking  vessels,  instead  of  the  manure,  tempered 
pounded  quartz  is  used  to  make  the  ware  strong  and  impervious. 
Sufficient  water  is  mixed  with  the  ingredients  to  produce  a  stiff 
paste  which  is  stored  away  for  several  days  in  damp  cloths  to  go 
through  a  seasoning  process,  and  insure  evenness  for  the  following 
working. 

The  modelling  and  shaping  of  the  plastic  vessels  differs  from 
the  process  followed  by  the  more  northern  tribes  of  Indians,  who 
construct  their  wares  by  super-imposing  thin  strips  of  clay  from  the 
bottom  to  the  top,  rubbing  away  the  jointure  lines  as  they  proceed. 

CAJITA.  —  The  Papago  Pima  potters  model  the  first  half  of  the 
jar,  which  they  call  a  "  cajita,"  upon  the  rounded  bottom  of  a  spe- 
cially constructed  mould  of  thick  terra  cotta  having  the  shape  of  an 
olla  with  a  much  constricted  mouth.  A  lump  of  clay  is  flattened 
out  into  a  nearly  circular  disk  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  spread 
upon  the  centre  of  the  inverted  mould ;  it  is  then  paddled  and 
thinned  out  with  a  spade-shaped  paddle  of  mesquite  wood  until 
it  covers  the  mould  as  far  as  its  incurving.  Several  half-ollas  -are 
prepared  in  succession  and  laid  beside  the  mould  to  dry  somewhat 
before  the  upper  portions  of  the  vase  is  added,  but  a  bowl  is  com- 
plete at  this  stage,  save  for  the  flaring  rim.  The  cajita  is  built  up 
to  the  finished  form  of  a  jar  by  adding  heavy  rings  of  clay  (usually 
two  or  three),  and  paddling  each  successively  up  to  a  thin  wall  by 
the  aid  of  narrow  paddles.  The  soft  clay  vase  is  allowed  to  dry 
for  a  number  of  hours,  and  then  polished  over  its  entire  outer  sur- 
face with  small  rubbing  stones. 

OLLA  PADDLES.  —  The  olla  paddles  are  cut  out  of  mesquite  or 
pine  wood.  The  broad,  slightly  concave  paddle  is  used  in  shaping 
the  clay  over  the  pottery  mould.  The  narrower,  rounded  and  flat 
paddles  are  used  in  thinning  the  superadded  rings  of  plastic  clay 

22O 


which  are  patted  into  place  against  the  moist  edge  of  the  vase. 
A  round  hand-stone,  such  as  is  seen  beneath  the  first  paddle,  is 
used  as  a  buffer  or  stop,  being  held  by  the  left  hand  against  the 
inside  edge  in  shaping  its  upper  portion,  while  a  broad  paddle  is 
used  in  the  right  hand  against  the  outside  to  sustain  the  thin  rim 
of  clay. 

Three  varieties  of  stones  are  used  in  the  construction  of  the  pot- 
tery ;  they  are  commonly  thin  and  disk-shaped.  Some  are  natural 
quartzite  pebbles,  selected  from  a  water  course  on  account  of  their 
shape.  Broken  metates  of  nearly  rectangular  outline  are  often 
used,  although  argillaceous  and  volcanic  rocks  are  also  converted 
into  olla  stones  by  grinding  down  to  the  desired  shape.  The  size 
of  the  shaping  stone  is  usually  three  to  four  and  one  half  inches  in 
diameter,  and  three  fourths  to  two  and  one-half  inches  in  thickness. 
They  sometimes  subserve  other  purposes,  such  as  hammering  or 
flaking. 

A  polishing  of  the  olla  or  cajita  is  resorted  to  in  all  the  market- 
able ware.  A  fine  closely-grained  pebble  of  quartz  and  chalcedony 
highly  polished  by  friction  is  used  for  the  polishing.  The  stone  is 
grasped  between  the  tips  of  the  fingers  and  thumb,  and  by  a  rapid 
reciprocating  motion  the  vessel  is  rubbed  until  it  has  taken  on  a 
high  gloss.  This  polishing  still  further  amalgamates  the  particles 
of  clay  and  reduces  the  danger  of  breakage  in  firing. 

The  firing  is  done  in  shallow  pits  partly  filled  with  mesquite 
bark.  The  pottery  is  piled  up  and  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  mes- 
quite bark  slabs  and  dry  manure,  and  when  the  outer  wall  is  con- 
sumed the  firing  is  considered  completed.  After  firing  the  vases 
are  usually  painted  red  with  black  ornaments  ;  a  second  and  final 
polishing  being  resorted  to  as  soon  as  the  red  ochre  slip  has  dried 
in.  This  red  ochre  is  produced  by  the  decomposition  of  a  ferru- 
gineous  rock  found  in  stray  lumps  or  attached  to  the  rocky  moun- 
tain-sides. 

PAINT.  —  The  crude  material  is  broken  up  and  dissolved  in 
water.  A  small  sediment  precipitates  itself  to  the  bottom  of  the 
retaining  vessel,  whence  part  of  the  water  and  the  larger  fragments 
are  removed.  The  sediment  is  rapidly  stirred  with  a  stick  until 
the  lighter  particles  rise  and  are  poured  off  into  another  vessel. 
This  process  is  repeated  until  the  paint  is  sufficiently  fine  for  use. 
It  is  then  allowed  to  thoroughly  settle,  the  clear  water  is  poured 

221 


off,  and  the  moisture  evaporated,  leaving  a  hard  cake  of  red  paint 
which  is  stored  away.  When  the  pottery-maker  desires  to  use  the 
paint  she  dissolves  it,  stirs  and  adds  water  until  a  thick  cream 
is  obtained.  This  she  applies  with  a  soft  cloth  to  the  inner  rim 
as  well  as  the  entire  surface  of  the  bowls  and  jars.  Simple  black 
geometric  decorations  are  made  by  means  of  a  paint  prepared 
from  the  mesquite  gum.  The  gum  is  dissolved  in  water  and  poured 
off  into  another  receptacle  in  the  same  manner  as  the  preparation 
of  the  ochre.  It  will  not  stay  in  solution  in  cold  water,  but  soon 
falls  in  a  heavy  deposit.  The  paint  is  applied,  rather  thick,  by 
means  of  a  feather  brush,  to  the  red  surface  of  the  pottery. 

OLLA  WATER  COOLER.  —  Under  the  shade  of  the  open  brush 
shelters  of  the  Pimas  and  other  Indian  tribes  of  the  southwestern 
desert  region,  as  well  as  under  the  more  pretentious  verandas  of 
the  Americans  and  Mexicans,  from  a  meridian  line  drawn  across 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico  far  down  to  the  southward  in  Mexico, 
may  be  seen  the  indispensable  water-cooling  jars  or  ollas  of  un- 
glazed  pottery  suspended  by  cords  from  the  girders,  or  more  com- 
monly supported  by  a  breast-high  mesquite  post.  On  the  three 
prongs  at  the  top  rests  the  water-cooling  vessel  which  is  a  luxurious 
necessity  in  a  hot,  dry  climate,  where  the  constant  quenching  of 
thirst  is  imperative.  The  liquid  percolates  rapidly  through  the 
porous  walls  of  the  vessel,  reducing  the  temperature  of  its  contents 
to  a  delightful  degree.  A  cup  or  dipper,  fashioned  from  a  culti- 
vated gourd,  or  the  half-shell  of  the  small  round  gourd  indigenous 
to  the  desert,  is  usually  hung  up  beside  the  olla. 

KEE-HO  OR  CARRYIXG-BASKET.  —  All  the  baskets  in  use  among 
the  Indians  are  made  by  the  women.  The  largest  is  the  "  kee-ho,'' 
a  carrying-basket  or  hod.  This  is  composed  of  five  parts  :  — 

First.     A  framework  of  sehuara  cactus  sticks. 

Second.  A  lace  net  of  maguey  fibre  twine  bound  to  a  wooden 
ring  of  mesquite  sticks. 

Third.  An  oblong  mat  of  woven  yucca  leaves,  which  rests  upon 
the  bearer's  back,  protecting  it  from  the  burden. 

Fourth.  A  forehead  band  or  frontlet  of  yucca  leaves  plaited  in 
a  ring  and  flattened.  The  frontlet  is  connected  with  the  basket  by 
means  of  ropes  of  horse  hair  tied  to  its  ends  and  passed  downwards 
through  the  oblong  mat  and  around  the  lower  point  of  the  basket. 

222 


where  they  are  furnished  with  a  twisting  peg  which  serves  for  the 
adjustment  of  the  length. 

Fifth.  Four  rope  ties  or  stretchers  for  the  net  are  knotted  one 
to  each  stick,  passed  beneath  the  net  ring  and  drawn  taut.  After 
the  net,  which  is  of  a  soft  yellow  color,  is  finished  and  stretched,  it 
is  painted  in  red  and  blue  designs,  which  form  a  very  pretty  deco- 
ration, following  the  openwork  of  its  lacelike  pattern,  which  is 
produced  by  a  kind  of  knitting  stitch.  The  paint  is  laid  on  by 
means  of  a  soft,  pithy  plant  stalk.  The  tie  ropes  are  often  made 
of  human  hair.  They  are  very  soft  and  perfectly  cylindrical, 
woven  in  a  fancy  plait  like  that  of  old-fashioned  hair  chains. 

When  the  basket  is  in  position  for  carrying,  the  greater  portion 
of  the  load  rests  upon  the  back,  the  head  and  the  neck  taking  little 
of  the  weight.  The  frontlet  serves  to  place  the  load  on  the  most 
efficient  point  between  the  shoulders.  Cross-sticks  are  often  tied 
to  the  long  projecting  poles  of  the  framework ;  this  greatly  increases 
the  carrying  capacity  of  the  "kee-ho." 

LOAD  OF  POTTERY.  —  Both  bulky  and  heavy  loads  of  pottery, 
cereals,  fire-wood,  and  wood  for  house-building  are  carried  long 
distances  by  means  of  the  kee-ho,  and  the  women  of  the  Sierra 
Madre  travel  from  sunrise  to  sunset  carrying  therein  the  simple 
products  of  their  homes  to  the  Mexican  ranches  and  settlements. 
The  women  make  exclusive  use  of  the  kee-ho,  a  man  consider- 
ing it  beneath  his  dignity  to  be  seen  with  one,  although  he  will 
sometimes  relieve  an  exhausted  member  of  his  family,  provided  no 
one  is  in  sight. 

THE  GORRITA.  —  As  useful  as  the  kee-ho  is  the  gorrita,  a  kind 
of  platter  or  bowl  composed  of  basket-work.  A  whole  collection 
of  these,  in  various  shapes  and  sizes,  belongs  to  everv  prosperous 
Indian  family.  The  gorrita  varies  in  form  from  a  circular,  slightly 
concave  platter,  to  a  deep  bowl  or  bottle  with  high  curved  sides, 
decorated  in  pretty  black  and  white  geometric  figures.  The  gorrita 
is  invariably  constructed  out  of  split  willow  twigs,  stripped  martinia 
fibre,  and  narrow  ribbons  of  yucca  leaves  or  saccaton  grass.  The 
large  wig-like  object  in  the  centre  of  the  illustration  consists  of  a 
bundle  of  raw  martinia  pods,  or  Martinia  athecefolia,  called  by 
the  Indians  ec-hooks,  and  by  the  Mexicans  unas  de gatto.  The  pods 
are  pulled  apart,  and  a  bundle  formed  of  them  by  binding  a  few 

223 


ee-hooks  together,  and  then  thrusting  hook  after  hook  into  the 
centre,  letting  the  broad  end  fall  outside.  In  this  shape  they  are 
stored  away  till  required  for  manufacturing  the  gorrita. 

At  odd  moments  the  women  shred  the  half  martinia  pod  or 
ee-hook.  It  is  soaked  in  water  until  pliable,  the  sharp  extremity  is 
bent  back  upon  itself  until  the  woody  core  breaks  out,  the  point  is 
pulled  backward  along  the  outer  curve  of  the  hook,  carrying  with 
it  a  strip  of  fibre  from  eight  inches  to  a  foot  long ;  the  rest  is 
thrown  away.  The  fibres  are  bound  up  into  small  circular  coils 
four  to  five  inches  in  diameter  and  two  inches  in  thickness  (see 
illustration),  and  then  laid  away.  Split  twigs  of  willow  are  pre- 
pared in  the  same  way,  the  twig  being  cut  in  the  spring  or  rainy 
season,  the  bark  stripped  off,  the  twig  split  through  the  middle, 
and  the  irregularities  smoothed  away.  The  prepared  twigs  are 
bunched  in  the  hand  and  twisted  into  a  small  ring,  bound  about 
with  a  strip  of  bark,  and  stored  away  ready  for  use. 

Some  yucca  fibre,  or  a  small  bunch  of  saccaton  grass,  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  is  wound  around  with  martinia  or  split 
willow,  according  as  a  black  or  white  centre  for  the  gorrita  is 
desired.  This  is  coiled  into  a  button,  which  is  held  in  shape  by 
passing  the  ends  of  willow  or  martinia  strip  through  its  core.  The 
basket  is  then  worked  around  gradually  from  this  centre  by  con- 
stantly threading  the  outer  wind  through  the  core  of  each  previous 
circumscribing  band  and  drawing  it  taut,  binding  the  coils  com- 
pactly together.  A  variety  of  geometric  designs,  such  as  Greeks, 
Swastikas,  diamonds,  etc.,  are  produced  by  alternating  the  outer 
windings  with  black  martinia  and  white  willow.  The  baskets, 
when  well  made,  will  hold  water  and  withstand  long  and  hard 
usage.  They  serve  all  the  domestic  purposes  where  there  is  no 
contact  with  fire. 


AGRICULTURE,    FAUNA   AND    FLORA. 

The  Indians  cultivate  maize,  or  Indian  corn,  for  the  main- 
tenance of  their  families.  They  also  cultivate  a  small  amount  of 
tobacco,  which  they  look  upon  as  a  luxury  as  well  as  the  sacred 
accessory  of  many  ceremonies. 

DIGGING-STICK.  —  The  Indian  does  not  individually  possess  the 
land,  but  occupies  or  cultivates  any  waste  piece  which  suits  his 

224 


fancy.  The  ground  is  sometimes  prepared  by  means  of  an  archaic 
wooden  plow,  introduced,  probably,  by  the  Spanish  missionaries. 
The  aboriginal  implement,  which  is  still  everywhere  in  use,  consists 
of  a  flattened  digging-stick  of  mesquite  wood  about  thirty  inches 
long  by  three  or  four  inches  broad.  A  man  picks  out  a  stretch  of 
ground  which  pleases  him,  seats  himself  upon  his  heels,  and  prods 
and  scratches  the  earth  in  a  circle  about  him  with  a  digging-stick. 
In  the  upturned  soil  he  scatters  a  handful  of  seed  corn  which  he 
takes  from  a  convenient  basket.  Over  the  seed  he  harrows  the 
loose  earth  with  his  fingers  and  toes.  His  task  completed,  he 
moves  on  to  a  fresh  spot,  which  he  prepares  in  like  manner,  chang- 
ing his  position  until  he  feels  that  enough  corn  has  been  planted 
to  supply  his  household  with  food.  If  it  rains  at  the  right  time, 
.and  the  sun  shines,  there  is  a  crop ;  if  not,  the  family  subsists  on 
roots  and  cacti  until  the  next  planting  season.  The  father  removes 
to  another  part  of  the  mezas,  builds  a  new  hut  and  sows  afresh, 
for  the  fault  is  evidently  in  a  curse  which  lies  upon  the  soil,  and  it 
is  ruinous,  and  not  always  efficacious,  to  engage  a  medicine-man 
to  liberate  the  land  from  the  curse. 

MAIZE.  —  Maize  is  to  the  Indian  of  the  Sierra  Madre  what 
rice  is  to  the  Chinese,  and  rye  to  the  rural  inhabitant  of  central 
Europe,  —  namely,  his  food,  his  drink,  and  the  fodder  for  his 
cattle.  There  are  several  varieties  of  maize  in  use  among  the 
Indians,  the  chief  difference  being  in  the  red,  blue,  white,  and 
speckled  color  of  the  kernels.  This  difference  has  been  attained 
by  a  process  of  natural  selection,  one  variety  flourishing  in  a  soil 
where  another  cannot  sustain  itself. 

CORN  STALKS.  —  The  dried  stalks  of  matured  maize  are  used 
for  fuel,  for  roofing,  and  in  the  construction  of  dwelling-huts  and 
the  Uk-sa  (kitchen  ring),  when  saccaton  grass  and  boughs  are  not 
convenient.  The  more  tender  parts  are  used  for  fodder;  these  are 
dried,  and  stored  out  of  the  reach  of  the  animals  in  the  fork  of  a 
tree  or  heaped  upon  the  flat  roof  of  a  house  or  porch. 

CORN  KERNELS.  —  The  cobs  are  shucked  by  hand,  and  the 
kernel  stored  away  in  the  granaries,  which  consist  of  walled-up 
caves,  or  of  the  huge  baskets  already  described,  and  fetched  in 
sufficient  quantity  when  wanted.  The  ceremonial  blue  corn-bread 
and  red  corn-bread  is  prepared  from  carefully  selected  kernels  by 
the  roakari.  This  bread  is  of  an  electric  blue  or  a  bright  wine 
i5  225 


color,  and  the  paste  composing  it  is  rolled  out  into  a  wafer  as  thin 
as  a  sheet  of  paper.  The  process  of  preparation  is  attended  with 
elaborate  ceremonies,  which  begin  with  the  collecting,  the  storing, 
and  the  planting  of  the  seed,  and  continue  through  the  growth  of 
the  corn,  the  harvesting,  the  shucking,  storing,  grinding,  and  cook- 
ing. A  very  interesting  account  of  these  ceremonies  is  to  be 
found  in  an  article  on  the  Zuni  Creation  Myth,  written  by  Mr. 
Frank  Hamilton  Gushing,  and  published  in  the  thirtieth  annual 
report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology  at  Washington. 

TEQUINO,  OR  TESWIN. — The  sprouted  corn  is  made  into 
teguino,  or  teswin,  which  is  used  at  feasts.  This  liquor,  with 
which  the  Indians  become  intoxicated,  is  the  original,  unadul- 
terated American  whiskey. 

CORN  HUSKS.  —  The  husks,  still  attached  to  a  knob  of  stem, 
but  with  the  ear  removed,  form  a  wrapper  or  casing  for  the  Indian 
dainty  tomales,  which  is  relished  by  the  Mexicans,  and  hawked 
about  the  railway  stations  and  market-places  of  Mexico.  It  is 
prepared  from  corn,  softened  with  alkali  water  and  broken  in  a 
mortar  until  it  resembles  hominy.  This  is  mixed  with  chopped  or 
shredded  meat,  red  pepper,  and  onions,  if  any  of  the  latter  are  avail- 
able. A  husk  is  packed  with  the  mixture,  the  leaves  are  gathered 
closely  together  and  tied  up  with  strips  of  corn  fibre.  The  packet 
is  boiled  or  roasted  and  eaten  hot,  the  husk  wrapper  serving  as  an 
impromptu  dish. 

CIGARETTE  WRAPPER.  —  The  cigarette  wrapper  of  the  Indians 
is  a  corn  husk.  The  Pima  Bajas  do  not  use  pipes,  and  the  ciga- 
rette is  only  lit  after  the  sun  has  gone  below  the  horizon.  Smoking 
by  daylight  is  considered  an  insult  to  the  gods  who  control  the  ele- 
ments, and  a  calamity-breeder.  Tobacco  smoke  especially  offends 
the  sun,  and  brings  tears  to  his  eyes  at  the  wrong  time.  When  the 
tribe  desires  rain,  however,  at  the  end  of  the  dry  season,  the  corn 
stubble,  the  mezas,  and  the  prairies  are  set  on  fire,  to  cause  the 
sun  to  veil  his  face;  but  as  that  quality  of  smoke  is  acceptable,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  Indians,  it  causes  the  gods  to  send  the  rain. 
The  corn  husks  are  kept  wrapped  in  bundles  hanging  to  a  handy 
peg  in  the  wall  of  the  hut  or  porch,  and  also  serve  the  Indian  for 
twine,  and  on  many  occasions  when  a  civilized  man  would  use 
paper. 

226 


CUCURKITA  PALMATA  (PUMPKINS). —  The  Indians  cultivate 
ordinary  pumpkins  of  an  inferior  quality,  and  a  species  of  native 
gourd  which  runs  along  the  ground,  and  is  known  botanically  as 
Cucurbita  palmata,  or  perennis.  Its  fruit  is  much  smaller  than 
that  of  the  pumpkin.  The  Mexicans  called  it  Chili  coyote,  because 
of  a  myth  connecting  it  with  the  coyote,  which  the  Indians  believe 
feeds  upon  it,  and  thus  obtains  a  magical  or  occult  power,  and  for 
this  reason  the  dance  rattles  are  made  of  its  ripe  fruit.  Its  leaves 
are  silvery  green  and  hairy,  like  those  of  the  ordinary  pumpkin. 
Its  flowers  are  of  a  rich  yellow.  Its  fruit  is  round  and  rilled  with 
a  red  pulp  in  which  the  seeds  are  imbedded  in  parallel  lines.  The 
pulp  is  luscious  and  nourishing  when  sliced  and  cooked  by  boiling 
or  roasting.  The  natives  scoop  out  this  interior  with  the  finger 
and  eat  it  raw,  or  devour  it  piece-meal,  gnawing  it  down  to  the 
rind,  which  is  thrown  away.  Soldiers,  attracted  by  the  delicious 
flavor  and  refreshing  qualities  of  the  raw  fruit,  partake  of  it  freely 
on  first  encountering  it,  but  soon  repent  of  their  rashness,  because 
of  the  pain  and  discomfort  it  produces  in  those  unaccustomed  to 
it.  The  seeds  are  dried,  pounded,  and  made  into  a  mush,  which  is 
very  palatable  and  nutritious,  or  diluted  to  form  a  delicious  drink 
of  an  especial  efficacy  in  relieving  thirst.  The  immature  rind  is 
cut  up  into  continuous  strips  about  an  inch  in  width,  which  are 
hung  up  to  dry  upon  the  eaves  and  porches  of  the  Indian  houses, 
very  much  as  the  Neapolitans  hang  up  macaroni.  When  dry,  it  is 
made  up  into  bundles  by  bending  the  strip  back  and  forth  upon 
itself  in  lengths  of  about  a  foot,  wrapping  the  strip  about  the 
middle  and  tucking  in  the  end.  The  bundle  thus  formed  is  laid  on 
the  roof  for  a  final  drying,  and  then  stored  away  in  a  granary. 
When  required  for  food,  the  strips  are  soaked  in  water  until  soft- 
ened, and  afterwards  boiled.  They  furnish  a  meal  by  themselves, 
or  are  eaten  as  an  accessory  to  other  food.  The  pulp  of  the  imma- 
ture gourd  is  used  as  soap,  and  out  of  the  roots,  which  also  possess 
saponaceous  characteristics,  a  valuable  cathartic  and  excellent 
poultice  can  be  made. 

WATER  BOTTLE.  —  Another  species  of  Mexican  gourd  culti- 
vated by  the  Indians  produces  a  fruit  about  a  foot  high  and  eight 
inches  in  diameter.  This  is  prepared  for  food  and  storing  in  the 
same  way,  or  allowed  to  ripen,  when  it  is  dried  and  made  into  a 
water-bottle.  Tightly  encased  in  an  irregular  network  of  maguey 

227 


twine,  and  furnished  on  the  upper  side  with  a  single  handle  of 
twisted  fibre,  it  serves  as  well  as  an  earthen  bottle  for  carrying 
water  on  extended  journeys  across  the  desert,  and  is  much  lighter 
to  carry. 

HOFFMANSEGGIA    STKICTA,    OR     INDIAN    POTATO.  —  This    is    a 

vegetable  very  much  prized  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  desert  It 
resembles  the  so-called  Irish  potato.  The  tubers  differ  but  little 
in  size  and  shape,  and  the  mode  of  their  preparation  for  food  is 
identical;  but  the  growth  above  ground  of  the  Indian  potato  re- 
sembles that  of  the  sensitive  plant. 

AGAVE.  —  The  agave  (l^asylirioni  Wheeleri)  furnishes  the  In- 
dians with  beer  and  a  species  of  strong,  sweet  liquor,  as  well  as  a 
material  for  baskets  and  mats,  while  certain  varieties  are  used  for 
roofing  houses.  The  plant  branches  out  from  the  ground,  forming 
an  inverted  cone  of  long,  narrow  leaves,  with  short,  upward  curving 
thorns  along  both  edges.  The  hard  point  of  the  end  of  the  leaf  is 
cut  partly  off  and  stripped  downwards  to  the  root,  shredding  off 
several  threads  of  fibre  which,  on  being  twisted,  form  a  fine  twine 
about  four  feet  long  provided  with  a  natural  needle,  and  admirably 
adapted  for  sewing  together  mats.  Many  plaited  baskets,  mat- 
tresses, olla  rings,  kee-ho  bands,  and  shoulder  mats  are  composed 
of  these  leaves.  The  thorny  edges  are  split  off,  leaving  a  straight 
band,  or  this  may  be  split  again  into  ribbons  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
wide.  The  strips  are  soaked  while  pliable,  and  plaited  in  a  herring- 
bone pattern,  produced  by  passing  the  strip  of  leaf  over  three  and 
under  three  other  strips  alternately.  The  thickened  border  of  the 
mat  is  made  by  adding  to  the  edge  a  narrow  plait  composed  of 
yucca  leaves.  The  double  edges  are  held  together  by  thrusting  a 
single  strip  of  ornamental  yucca  plait  beneath  the  exterior  strip 
of  the  plait  composing  the  mat.  The  mats  are  used  as  doors,  beds, 
tables,  chairs,  and  hammocks,  and  few  are  the  houses  which  do 
not  possess  an  assortment  of  them. 

AGAVE  LECHEGUEA.  —  The  native  hair-brushes  very  much 
resemble  shaving  brushes,  composed  of  the  fibre  of  the  Agave 
lecheguea.  The  short,  broad  leaves  of  this  species  of  agave 
are  removed  close  to  the  stalk,  where  the  fibres  are  almost  as 
strong  and  elastic  as  hog  bristles.  Enough  fibre  to  form  a  brush 
is  bunched  together  in  the  hand  so  as  to  leave  the  brush  end 

228 


slightly  rounded,  and  in  the  centre  a  tie  is  drawn  tightly  around  it 
before  the  fibre  turned  upwards  to  form  a  tassel.  This  is  bound 
securely  in  place  by  a  flat  braid  of  horse-hair  laid  around  it  with 
great  symmetry,  a  simple  geometric  design  being  produced  by- 
passing the  black  braid  at  proper  intervals  under  two  strands  of 
fibre.  Hair  brushes  are  also  made  of  yucca  fibre,  and  of  the  roots 
of  several  varieties  of  desert  plants. 

CACTI.  —  The  cacti  not  only  serve  as  shade  trees,  and  to  furnish 
fire-wood,  beams,  and  wattles,  but  also  as  articles  of  food, — the 
Indians  cooking  and  eating  the  succulent  pads  and  the  raw  fruit 
with  avidity. 

CEREUS  GIGANTEUS. —  The  Cereus  giganteus,  or  Cactus  can- 
delabrum, as  well  as  the  Cereus  sehuara,  under  favorable  conditions 
grows  to  a  height  exceeding  forty  feet,  and  produces  very  beautiful 
flowers  and  an  extremely  luscious  fruit.  It  is  the  most  conspicuous 
as  well  as  the  most  useful  of  all  the  vegetable  growth  of  the  South- 
west. Its  pithy  core,  when  dried,  hardens  into  wood  and  serves 
in  the  construction  of  houses,  while  its  fruit,  in  season  and  out  of 
season,  is  a  benediction.  Its  seeds,  separated  from  the  pulp, 
are  made  into  wine,  the  fermented  product  being  considered  a 
great  luxury,  or  are  often  ground  and  roasted  as  a  delicacy,  or 
made  use  of  in  many  of  the  religious  ceremonies.  The  shape  of 
this  exotic  is  that  of  a  candelabrum,  hence  its  name.  At  times  it 
raises  its  solid  grooved  trunk  destitute  of  every  sign  of  foliage, 
like  a  patina-covered  bronze  column ;  again  it  is  adorned  with 
innumerable  sturdy  limbs. 

BISMOGA  CACTUS.  — The  Bismoga  Cactus  is  only  eaten  cooked. 
The  Echino  Cactus  Polycephalus,  or  the  Devil's  Pincushion,  and 
EC hino  Cactus  Wislizena,  are  better  known  as  the  Barrel  Cactus. 
They  are  covered  with  long  wiry  spines,  which  are  sharp  and 
tough,  and  are  used  for  fastening  leaves,  skins,  and  textiles 
together,  from  which  comes  the  name  of  Nature's  Pins.  The 
ball  at  the  top  is  composed  of  close,  white,  silky  fibre,  like  the 
head  of  a  small  ripe  thistle.  The  spines  are  bent  and  used  as 
fish-hooks  by  the  natives,  and  answer  all  the  purposes  of  the 
metal  ones.  The  flesh  is  like  that  of  a  green  water-melon,  and  is 
often  eaten  to  allay  thirst.  It  is  particularly  refreshing  to  the 
traveller  parched  and  nauseated  by  the  alkali  waters  of  the  arid 

229 


regions,  as  is  also  the  Nopal,  or  Indian  fig,  of  which  the  fruit  is 
eaten  raw,  and  the  young  pads  make  an  excellent  vegetable  for 
cooking.  To  this  family  belong  many  of  the  hickori  or  sacred 
cacti,  venerated  as  divinities,  which  are  described  in  Chapter  V. 

PITAIYA.  —  The  Pitaiya  is  most  useful,  as  is  the  Cena  Cactus, 
which  grows  up  thickly  from  the  ground. 

OCATIYA  CACTUS. — The  ocatiya  cactus  is  most  curious  in 
effect,  looking  like  an  overgrown  and  leafless  thorn-tree.  It 
reaches  a  height  of  twenty  feet  without  a  regular  trunk  or  much 
branching,  and  resembles  a  bunch  of  fagots.  It  is  pictured  in  the 
background  of  the  illustration  "The  Scientist's  Assistants."  With 
the  mesquite,  the  ocatiya  furnishes  the  best  material  for  the  con- 
struction of  houses  and  corrals,  either  by  binding  perpendicularly 
to  mesquite  or  sehuara,  or  by  being  used  so  as  to  form  an  impene- 
trable wattle. 

YUCCA  BACCATA.  —  Another  economic  plant,  which  assumes 
the  size  of  a  tree,  and  is  of  great  use  to  the  Indians,  as  it  would 
be  to  more  civilized  races,  is  the  Yucca  baccata,  vulgarly  known 
as  the  Spanish  Bayonet.  The  Mexicans  call  it  Datalies,  because 
its  fruit  resembles  a  dried  date  or  fig.  This  fruit  is  mildly  cathar- 
tic on  account  of  the  seeds  it  contains.  The  meal  made  from 
these  seeds  is  called  amole,  and  is  one  of  the  most  nourishing 
and  pleasant  preparations  consumed  in  the  Pima  section  of  the 
country.  Mixed  with  water  it  forms  a  gruel  which,  when  flavored 
with  sugar  or  berries,  is  delicious.  Made  into  cakes  it  is  called 
pinole,  and  the  Indians  can  subsist  for  a  remarkable  length  of 
time  on  a  few  pinole  or  a  little  diluted  amole.  All  travellers  carry 
one  or  the  other  in  a  small  bag  slung  about  the  neck,  and  the 
chewing  of  the  dried  fruit  is  an  excellent  resource  against  thirst 
and  fatigue  when  traversing  the  desert.  Yucca  seeds  are  used 
mixed  with  agave  in  making  tequino  or  tesivin.  The  yucca  is 
also  called  Soap  Root,  because  its  fibrous  roots  produce  a  cleaning 
lather.  These  are  exported  and  universally  known  to  trade.  The 
long,  dagger-shaped  leaves  are  used  as  thatch,  and  are  plaited  into 
all  kinds  of  baskets,  mats,  door-curtains,  etc.  The  olla  ring  which 
serves  as  a  stand  for  the  jars,  or  as  a  head  pad  for  the  woman  car- 
rying water,  is  composed  of  yucca  leaves  plaited  into  a  band  four 
inches  wide,  and  turned  in  upon  itself,  producing  a  ring  of  double 

230 


thickness  four  to  five  inches  m  diameter,  and  half  the  original 
height.  The  Indians  often  adapt  old  mats  to  other  uses  ;  see  the 
bird-cage  which  has  been  made  out  of  a  worn  out  kee-ho  mat. 

ROPES.  —  The  leaves  of  the  maguey  are  reduced  to  fine  fibre 
by  macerating  the  pulpy  portions  between  stones,  and  alternating 
washing  until  only  the  long  stringy  fibres  remain.  These  are 
brought  together  in  straight  bunches  or  coils,  and  serve  various 
industrial  uses,  principally  for  rope  and  twine-making,  and  for  the 
core  of  goiritas  and  of  the  elaborately  braided  horse-hair  bridles 
The  fibre  is  made  into  rope  by  twisting  it  in  a  twisting-machine, 
and  doubling  it  two,  three,  or  four  ply.  The  rope-twisting  machine 
consists  of  two  parts,  — -  first,  the  twister,  a  heavy  piece  of  ocatiya 
cactus  stem,  fourteen  inches  in  length,  in  the  smaller  end  of  which 
a  hole  is  bored  one  and  one-fourth  inches  from  the  end.  Above 
this  are  two  cut  notches,  around  which  the  operator  ties  the  fibre 
to  be  twisted.  A  handle  of  mesquite  wood,  one-fourth  inch  in 
diameter,  provided  with  a  small  button  (to  prevent  its  passing 
entirely  through),  is  thrust  into  the  hole.  The  ends  of  the  strand 
to  be  twisted  are  held  between  the  thumb  and  curved  forefinger  of 
an  assistant,  while  beside  him  lie  additional  strands  of  the  proper 
size.  The  operator  grasps  the  handle  and  rapidly  twirls  the  twister 
around  and  around  the  handle  of  mesquite  wood,  while  the  assist- 
ant holds  the  twisting  cord  taut,  and  feeds  the  additional  strands 
into  the  preceding  until  the  desired  length  of  the  single  cord  is 
obtained,  the  operator  backing  away  from  the  assistant  as  the  cord 
increases  in  length.  Thus  are  produced  the  lassos,  the  pack- 
cinches,  the  bridle-ropes,  fish-lines,  etc. 

MESQUITE-TREE.  —  This  is  at  once  the  ornament  and  blessing 
of  the  dry  regions  of  Arizona  and  Mexico.  The  name  mesqtiite  is 
given  indifferently  to  two  separate  species  of  trees,  —  the  Alga- 
robia  glandiilosa  and  the  Prosopis  juliflora.  The  wood  of  the 
mesquite  serves  the  Indians  for  beams,  poles,  and  every  use  to 
which  the  wood  of  forest  trees  is  put  in  more  favored  regions.  Its 
leaf-covered  branches  are  used  for  thatching,  with  or  without  mud 
plastering. 

MESQUITE  BEANS.  —  The  beans  are  collected  and  carefully  pre- 
served, as  they  are  considered  a  most  precious  article  of  food.  They 
are  always  perforated  with  holes,  owing  to  the  innumerable  insects 

231 


which  exist  upon  the  tree.  They  are  reduced  to  flour  by  placing 
the  dry  pods  in  the  cavity  of  a  stone  mortar.  The  mesquite  also 
yields  a  black  medicinal  gum  which  is  not  unlike  gum  arabic, 
and  exudes  from  the  tree  at  points  where  the  branches  have 
been  broken  off  or  the  trunk  otherwise  injured.  On  large  trees 
great  lumps  gather,  and  the  gum  runs  down  the  outside  of  the 
bark  as  does  turpentine  on  a  tapped  pine.  When  fresh,  the  gum 
is  of  a  light-brown  color  and  semi-translucent,  but  rapidly  changes 
on  exposure  into  a  brittle  black  mass.  It  is  broken  away  from  the 
trees  in  this  condition  and  stored  until  wanted.  The  gum  is  not 
only  used  as  glue,  but  also  as  a  paint  for  pottery,  and  mixed  with 
mud  to  color  the  hair  a  deep  black.  In  the  Orient,  the  natives  are 
said  to  use  a  gummy  preparation  for  a  similar  purpose.  From  the 
mesquite  gum  is  also  obtained  a  blue  coloring  matter  for  tattooing, 
which  is  applied  by  means  of  agave  spines  that  have  been  hardened 
by  heating  in  the  fire.  The  preparation  of  the  mesquite  gum  as 
paint  is  described  under  the  head  of  POTTERY-MAKING. 

PINE-TREE.  —  There  are  a  great  many  other  varieties  of  trees 
in  the  watered  regions  of  the  Sierra  Madre.  The  Indians  have 
nearly  a  dozen  different  names  to  designate  the  varieties  of  pine 
alone.  These  pine  trees  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  land- 
scape, crowning  the  heights  with  their  feathery  plumes.  Certain 
kinds  have  short  needles  resembling  larches,  while  others  —  such 
as  the  Pinus  ponderosa  scopularum  —  have  large  pendant  spikes 
over  four  inches  long.  It  is  from  this  latter  tree  that  the  aborigines 
draw  pitch. 

The  native  oak  trees  have  leaves  over  ten  inches  long;  and  of 
oak  certain  tribes  make  their  bows,  foot-balls,  etc.  The  Indians 
cook  into  a  very  palatable  dish  the  young  shoots  and  tender  leaves 
of  the  ash  tree.  They  also  relish  the  fruit  of  the  fig  tree  and  the 
roots  of  the  silk-cotton  tree.  The  chilicothe  or  coral  tree  is  more 
beautiful  than  useful ;  and  there  are  alders  Evonymus,  Madrono. 
(or  arbutus),  willow,  cotton-wood,  and  many  other  growths  of  the 
temperate  regions,  to  be  found  in  the  barrancas,  hung  with  orchids 
and  epiphytes  galore,  so  that  their  branches  seem  hung  with  tufts 
of  hay,  yellow  veils,  and  baskets  of  flowers. 

AQUILEGIA.  —  Along  the  water-courses  are  found  the  yellow 
mimulus,  and  several  varieties  of  Cohimbine  aquilegia. 

232 


MEDICINAL   PLANTS. 

LAUREA  MEXICANA  MOREA. — The  Laurea  Mexicana  morea, 
or  creosote  wood,  is  called  by  the  natives  tah-sun-up.  It  is  a 
hardy  growth,  often  reaching  a  height  of  twelve  feet.  It  pos- 
sesses a  strong  odor  of  arnica,  and  is  very  extensively  used  medic- 
inally. Its  foliage  is  bright  green,  its  flowers  are  yellow,  and 
develop  into  downy  balls.  Its  leaves  are  cleft  like  tiny  devils' 
hoofs,  and  the  plant  has  been  dubbed  "The  Devil's  Foot"  by 
white  settlers.  A  lotion  brewed  from  the  branches  is  healing  to 
the  sores  of  man  and  beast,  as  well  as  good  for  rheumatism.  A 
powder  prepared  from  the  dried  leaves  is  used  on  chronic  sores, 
and  the  black  gum  serves  as  a  styptic,  and,  like  that  of  the  mes- 
quite,  for  gluing  the  dance  rattles,  the  arrows  against  the  bow.  As 
the  creosote  wood  grows  throughout  the  desert,  it  is  much  used  as 
firewood,  and  emits  an  aromatic  odor  in  burning. 

SEBASTIANA  PALMERI. — This,  vulgarly  known  as  "arrow  wood," 
or  "the  tree  of  the  jumping  bean,"  is  a  most  interesting  shrub 
from  eight  to  twelve  feet  in  height.  It  is  very  common  around 
the  Alamas.  Its  Mexican  colloquial  name  is  palo  de  flecha.  It 
exudes  a  white  gum  or  milk  which  is  a  violent  cathartic,  and 
crystallizes  into  a  clear,  brittle  substance,  also  used  for  poisoning 
arrows.  The  natives  dread  the  plant,  for  when  introduced  under 
the  skin  it  becomes  fatally  poisonous.  Dr.  E.  Palmer  (for  whom 
it  is  named)  informed  Dr.  McCormick  that  he  had  seen  its  fatal 
action,  and  that  a  violent  opthalmia  or  conjunctivitis  had  resulted 
from  its  juice  getting  into  his  own  eyes. 

JUMPING  BEANS.  —  The  Indians  use  the  bark  in  fishing  to 
stupefy  the  fish,  as  its  effect  upon  them  is  transitory.  The  jump- 
ing of  the  dry  beans  (called  Carpocarpsa  saltitans},  which  is  looked 
upon  as  a  great  curiosity,  is  caused  by  the  gnawing  of  a  grub,  the 
egg  of  which  is  deposited  in  the  green  fruit  by  a  small  green  and 
white  butterfly  with  black  and  orange  spots  upon  its  wings.  When 
it  is  mature,  the  grub  gnaws  a  semicircular  opening  in  the  side  of 
the  bean,  and  pushes  it  open  like  a  trap  door,  the  butterfly  soaring 
away  while  its  chrysalis  sheath  remains  attached  to  the  opening. 

SIMMONSIA  CALIFORNICA.  —  This  shrub  is  used  by  the  white 
settlers  and  half-breeds  as  a  substitute  for  quinine,  and  called  by 

233 


them  quinine  plant.  The  leaves  are  steeped  in  water  and  drunk 
as  a  beverage.  The  Indians  use  the  same  preparation  to  allay 
fever.  They  also  char  the  bark  and  leaves,  pound  the  ashes,  and 
dust  them  thickly  upon  abrasions,  wounds,  and  sores,  as  an  anti- 
septic. The  simmonsia  resembles  the  mistletoe,  although  it  is  a 
shrub  and  not  a  parasite.  Its  fruit  is  of  the  size,  form,  and  color 
of  the  caper,  and  very  much  relished  by  the  Indians.  When  fully 
ripe,  the  fruit  yields  a  fine  oil. 

THAMNOSMA  MONTANUM. —  This  is  a  species  of  wild  rue  used 
for  kidney  trouble  by  the  Apaches  and  Pimas,  and  for  headache 
by  the  Panamints. 

SALVIA  COLUMBARIA  AND  SALVIA  TILIFOLIA.  —  The  Salvia 
columbaria  and  the  Sal-via  tilifolia,  locally  called  chia,  is  a  beauti- 
ful desert  plant,  used  as  a  beverage  by  the  Indians  and  Mexicans, 
and  also  dried  and  carried  into  the  cities,  where  it  is  sold  about 
the  streets.  It  is  used  by  the  natives  as  a  remedy,  and  the  seeds 
ground  into  meal  form  an  efficacious  poultice  for  wounds. 

Another  remedy  much  used  by  the  Indians  for  rheumatism  is  a 
decoction  of  fern  fronds.  They  reason  that  as  the  fern  frond  is 
first  seen  curled  up  like  the  victim  of  rheumatism,  and  gradually 
unfurls  beneath  the  heat  of  the  sun,  the  patient  who  is  possessed 
by  the  evil  spirit  of  rheumatism,  if  dosed  well  with  fern  tea  and 
exposed  to  the  sun  for  a  sufficient  length  of  time,  must  perforce 
unbend.  But  close  observation  of  fern  nature  indicates  a  fresh 
danger.  The  curled-up  fern  frond  is  elastic,  but  the  freshly  un- 
furled frond  is  excessively  brittle,  a  touch  sufficing  to  break  it. 
They  have  therefore  sought  out  another  object  which  is  found 
curled  up,  yet  distends  itself  without  being  brittle,  and  selected  the 
green  measuring  worm,  and  make  of  it  an  infusion  which  is  drunk 
by  the  convalescent  to  complete  the  cure. 

FAUNA. 

CANIS  LATRANS.  —  The  native  mammalia  of  the  region  are 
comparatively  scarce  though  varied.  There  are  deer,  lions,  bears, 
llanos,  wild  pigs,  peccany,  coons,  and  many  kinds  of  smaller  ani- 
mals, besides  the  coyote  or  Cam's  latrans,  the  wolf-dog  of  the 
American  hemisphere,  which  is  found  from  Costa  Rica  to  above 

234 


fifty-five  degrees  north  latitude.  All  authors  speak  of  this  animal's 
dexterity  in  avoiding  traps.  The  Indians  destroy  it  by  shooting  or 
poisoning.  Dr.  Cones  says  :  •'  It  enjoys  a  very  bad  reputation  on 
account  of  its  howling  habit.  One  must  have  spent  an  hour  or 
two  vainly  trying  to  sleep  before  he  is  in  a  condition  to  appreciate 
the  full  force  of  the  annoyance."  Mivart  (Mon.  of  Canidae)  says  : 
"The  howling  of  two  or  three  wolves  gives  the  impression  that  a 
score  are  engaged,  so  many  and  so  long-drawn  are  the  notes,  and 
so  uninterruptedly  are  they  continued  by  one  individual  after  an- 
other. A  short,  sharp  bark  is  followed  by  others  which  grow 
faster  and  faster,  becoming  a  long-drawn  lugubrious  howl.  They 
will  give  tongue  at  any  time  in  the  night  as  well  as  morning  or 
evening,  though  they  are  rarely  or  never  heard  during  the  day." 

The  coyote  prefers  animal  food,  but  when  it  cannot  secure  this, 
will  eat  vegetable  substances,  such  as  prickly  pears  or  juniper 
berries.  It  is  not  very  swift,  and  depends  largely  on  strategy  for 
animal  food,  relishing  rats,  mice,  rabbits,  and  young  birds. 

LEPUS  TEXIAXUS  EREMICUS  OR  JACK  RABBIT.  —  The  varieties 
of  rabbit  indigenous  to  Arizona  and  northern  Mexico  are  the  Lepns 
Texianus  ere/nicus,  (J.  A.  Allen),  which  occurs  in  southern  Arizona 
and  southward  to  Mexico,  and  the  Lepus  callotis  (Wagler),  which 
is  found  not  much  further  south  than  San  Luis  Potosi.  They  be- 
long to  the  same  family  as  the  Lepus  Californicus,  commonly  called 
jack  rabbit,  a  misnomer  for  jack  hare.  Dr.  Cones  speaks  of  the 
geographical  distribution  of  the  Lepus  Californicus  as  follows  : 
"  It  ranges  from  the  northern  parts  of  California  southward  along 
the  coast  to  Cape  San  Lucas.  It  seems  to  be  mainly  restricted  to 
the  region  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  but  in  the  latitude 
thirty-five  degrees,  according  to  Dr.  J.  G.  Cooper,  it  extends  east- 
ward to  the  Colorado  River." 

RATS  AND  MICE.  —  The  rats  and  mice  belong  to  several  vari- 
eties, and  many  of  them  resemble  kangaroos  in  coloring  and  legs. 
The  Crictodipus  flavus  (Baird),  commonly  called  the  Yellow 
Pocket  Mouse,  is  common  to  the  caves  and  dwellings  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  region  southward  and  eastward  from  the  British  posses- 
sions, latitude  forty-nine,  to  Chihuahua,  Mexico;  while  in  the 
Pacific  region,  it  is  replaced  by  the  Crictodipus  parvus,  or  Least 
Pocket  Mouse,  the  smallest  specimen.  The  Perogtiathus  flavus 

235 


{Baird)  is  also  found  in  Nebraska,  Utah,  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
Texas,  New  Mexico,  Sonora,  El  Paso,  Chihuahua,  and  Matamoras. 
The  Perognathus  fasciatus  and  the  Fasciatus  flavescens  are  the 
same  in  part  as  the  P.flavus.  In  the  desert  region  are  found  half 
a  dozen  other  of  these  wise-looking  little  rodents  with  names  as 
long  and  bristling  as  their  tails.  The  Dipodomys  agilus,  Gambel, 
or  five-toed  kangaroo  rat,  is  most  interesting.  The  genus  was  first 
described  in  1841  by  Gray,  the  type  being  the  Dipodomys  philipsi 
and  having  only  four  toes  on  the  hind  feet.  In  1889  Mr.  True  dis- 
covered that  some  species  of  Dipodomys  had  five  toes  on  the  hind 
feet,  and  called  attention  to  the  fact.  The  following  year  Dr.  C. 
Hart  Merriam  in  North  American  Fauna.  No.  3,  gave  to  the  five- 
toed  species  a  new  generic  name  of  Dipodops.  The  first  of  the 
five-toed  species  to  be  described  was  the  Dipodomys  agilus  (the 
large  creature  at  the  extreme  side  of  the  illustration),  which  has 
been  taken  as  typical  of  the  genus  Dipodops  (Merriam).  How- 
ever, in  1893  this  name  was  found  untenable,  and  it  now  goes 
under  the  name  of  Perodipus  agilus  (Gambel). 

BATS.  —  The  bats,  like  the  rats  and  mice,  partake  of  the  pale  col- 
oring of  the  region  they  inhabit,  —  that  is  to  say,  those  which  haunt 
the  desert  and  dry  mezas  are  yellow,  buff,  cream,  or  white.  The 
smaller  bats  are  of  the  sub-species  Vespertilio  e-votis  of  the  V.  al- 
bescens,  being  called  by  Dr.  Harrison  Allen,  in  his  revised  mono- 
graph (1893),  the  Vespertilio  albescens  evotis.  He  maintains  that 
not  only  does  it  extend  along  the  Pacific  Coast  from  Puget  Sound 
to  Lower  California,  but  it  is  also  to  be  found  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  in  the  highlands  of  Montana,  Washington,  Colorado, 
Arizona,  and  Dakota.  This  species  has  the  largest  ear  of  any  of 
the  American  species  of  Vespertilio,  and  its  fur  is  white,  long,  and 
very  thick. 

The  larger  bat  is  the  Vampyrus  spectrum  (Peters).  It  is  found 
in  Central  America,  Guatamala,  and  southward.  Dobson  states 
that  "it  is  the  largest  known  species  of  bat  in  the  New  World." 
It  was  believed  by  the  older  naturalists  to  be  sanguivorous  in  its 
habits,  and  named  accordingly  by  Geoffroy :  but  it  has  been  shown 
by  the  observations  of  modern  travellers  to  be  mainly  frugivorous, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  the  countries  in  which  it  is  found  consider  it 
perfectly  harmless. 

236 


BIRDS. 

In  the  barrancas,  which  are  watered  by  large  streams ,  fish  are 
plentiful,  and  herons,  fish-hawks,  and  ducks  haunt  the  moist,  um- 
brageous water  course ;  whereas,  on  the  open  highlands,  turkeys, 
black-birds,  crows,  green  parrots,  and  goat-suckers  are  found,  and 
in  the  woodlands  titmice,  wood-peckers,  and  the  brilliant  trogon. 

PAISANO,  CHAPARRAL  COCK.  —  The  birds,  save  the  road-runner 
or  Chaparral  Cock,  Geococcyx  Californianus,  avoid  the  desert.  This 
species  of  pheasant  is  called  •'  paisano  "  by  the  Mexicans.  It  is 
famous  for  its  rapidity  of  foot,  being  able  to  outrun  the  fleetest 
hound.  Owing  to  this,  it  seldom  flies,  save  to  cross  a  canon.  In  run- 
ning on  the  ground  it  carries  its  long  tail  more  or  less  erect,  and  its 
wings  slightly  spread.  Its  breast  is  marked  like  that  of  the  Eng- 
lish quail ;  all  its  feathers  are  exquisitely  iridescent,  while  the  long 
tail-feathers  are  very  soft,  and  marked  with  peacock  and  white 
shadings.  Its  skin  about  the  eyes  is  featherless  and  colored  a 
brilliant  blue,  shading  into  orange;  its  legs  are  also  blue  and  its 
beak  yellow.  It  is  about  sixteen  inches  long,  including  the  tail, 
and  is  shy  and  silent.  It  usually  goes  in  pairs,  each  pair  keeping 
to  its  own  restricted  locality.  It  feeds  largely  upon  beetles,  scor- 
pions, insects,  snails,  small  snakes,  and  other  creeping  things. 

TROGON  AMBIGUUS.  — The  most  beautiful  bird  of  the  region  is 
the  Trogon  ambiguus,  or  copper-tailed  trogon,  which  is  about 
eleven  inches  in  length.  The  trogon  is  one  of  the  characteristic 
dwellers  in  the  coniferous  forests  of  the  mountainous  region  of 
northern  Mexico,  beyond  which  it  extends  for  a  short  distance  into 
Arizona.  It  is  a  solitary  bird,  and  spends  the  greater  part  of  the 
day  perched  upon  a  swinging  branch  in  a  dark,  secluded  nook  of 
the  forest,  in  an  upright  position,  with  head  drawn  in  as  if  dozing. 
From  this  position  it  suddenly  arouses  itself  and  starts  in  search 
of  an  insect  or  a  berry,  of  which  it  is  especially  fond,  —  berries  of 
various  kinds  constituting  its  chief  diet.  Its  hunger  satisfied,  it 
resumes  a  pensive  attitude  until  again  stimulated  to  search  for 
fresh  nourishment.  Its  note  is  a  plaintive  call  of  many  syllables. 
It  probably  nests  in  the  hollow  of  trees  as  do  other  better-known 
species  of  trogons.  They  all  belong  to  the  order  of  Heterodactyli, 
and  have  two  toes  in  front  and  two  behind,  as  have  also  the  road- 

237 


runners.  Their  plumage  is  extremely  delicate,  the  tenderness  of 
their  skin  and  the  loose  attachment  of  their  feathers  is  extraordi- 
nary. If  a  trogon  is  shot,  in  falling  through  the  branches  it  be- 
comes practically  skinned,  leaving  feathers  upon  every  twig  and 
leaf ;  and  even  when  killed  with  the  greatest  care,  large  quantities 
of  the  feathers  are  lost.  The  trogon's  coloring  is  most  brilliant, 
resembling  that  of  certain  species  of  parroquets.  Its  beak  and  legs 
are  yellow  ;  its  head  and  back  a  brilliant,  iridescent,  peacock  green. 
Its  wings  and  under  tail-feathers  are  shaded  from  white  to  buff 
and  gray,  the  latter  being  speckled  with  black,  while  its  outer  tail 
feathers  are  stiff  and  copper-colored.  Its  breast  is  adorned  with  a 
soft  white  ring  beneath  a  bib  of  metallic  green,  and  below  this 
extend  most  exquisite  rose  and  flame  colors,  shading  into  red. 

BRIDLED  TITMOUSE.  —  Another  pretty  denizen  of  the  pine-lands 
is  the  bridled  titmouse,  Parus  ivollweberi.  This  active  little  bird 
is  gregarious,  and  frequents  the  brush  as  well  as  the  trees.  It  is 
about  five  inches  in  length,  with  a  pearl-gray  breast  shading  into 
white  at  the  throat,  while  its  back,  wings,  and  tail  are  dark  gray. 
It  has  snow-white  cheeks,  and  a  pretty  aigrette  of  fine  black 
feathers  with  black  markings  about  the  back  of  the  head,  cheeks, 
throat,  bill,  and  eyes,  to  which  it  owes  its  name  of  "  bridled  tit- 
mouse." It  is  a  very  sociable  little  bird,  not  only  travelling  in 
flocks  of  its  own  kind,  but  mixing  freely  with  other  varieties  of 
small  birds.  Like  all  titmice,  it  builds  its  nest  in  small  natural 
cavities,  in  deserted  woodpeckers'  nests,  or  in  holes  which  it  drills 
in  soft  decaying  wood. 

Its  habits  are  exceedingly  active ;  it  moves  swiftly  over  the 
trees,  scanning  each  piece  of  detached  bark,  or  bunch  of  dead 
leaves,  ever  on  the  alert  for  the  small  insects  and  spiders,  which 
constitute  its  food.  One  of  its  favorite  positions  is  to  hang,  head 
downwards,  from  a  ripe  pine  cone,  pecking  at  the  insects  attached 
to  the  gummy  end.  Its  curiosity  is  insatiable,  and  unless  dis- 
turbed, it  will  not  move  away  from  a  locality  until  it  has  peeped 
into  every  crack,  crevice,  and  hole. 


REPTILES    AND   INSECTS. 

CROTALUS  ATROX  (RATTLE-SNAKE).      Although  the  Indians 
fear  the  bite  of  a  great  variety  of  reptiles,  the  most  dangerous 

238 


and  the  most  common  is  the  Crotalus  atrox,  the  large  Mexican 
variety  of  rattle-snake,  which  is  to  be  found  of  a  size  varying  from 
three  to  six  feet,  and  of  a  great  age  as  indicated  by  the  buttons  of 
its  rattle. 

HELODERMA  HORRIDUM.  —  An  insane  fear  is  harbored  by  the 
natives  with  regard  to  the  Heloderma  horridum,  a  kind  of  lizard  of 
the  family  Helodermatidor,  having  besides  other  anatomical  char- 
acteristics, the  head  and  body  covered  with  rounded  scales  resem- 
bling small  nail-heads  (see  Johnson's  Encyclopedia).  The  tongue 
is  fleshy  and  slightly  forked  ;  the  teeth  are  grooved  and  connected 
with  the  outlets  of  highly  developed  salivary  glands,  but  they  are 
in  no  way  poisonous,  although  so-called  braves  have  been  known 
to  swoon  on  accidentally  touching  one  of  them.  Its  color  is  black 
with  irregular  yellow  markings,  varying,  like  those  of  lizards, 
according  to  the  surrounding  conditions  and  the  time  that  has 
elapsed  since  shedding  the  epidermis  There  are  two  varieties, 
the  Heloderma  horridum  of  our  illustration,  which  is  indigenous 
to  Northern  Mexico,  and  the  Gila  Monstri  {Horridum  suspectum) 
from  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  Texas.  Both  are  sluggish  in 
their  movements,  and  feed  to  a  considerable  extent  on  birds'  eggs. 
They  are  particularly  interesting  because  they  are  the  only  lizards 
which  are  supposed  to  be  venomous.  Chickens,  pigeons,  and  cats 
have  been  bitten  by  them,  however,  without  any  observable  con- 
sequences; while  on  the  other  hand,  pigeons,  frogs,  and  rabbits, 
hypodermically  injected  with  the  saliva,  have  died  within  a  few 
minutes.  The  poison  did  not  in  these  cases  attack  the  nerve 
centres,  but  affected  the  action  of  the  heart,  producing  paralysis. 

TARANTULA  MYGALE  (SPIDER).  Many  varieties  of  spiders 
are  found  upon  the  trees,  bushes,  and  grasses,  and  are  very  much 
feared  by  the  natives.  The  most  interesting  and  uncommon  is  the 
big  Tarantula  itiygale,  a  hairy  ground-spider  with  a  leg  span  of 
five  inches  or  more.  It  is  of  a  ruddy  brown  color,  and  possessed 
of  two  enormously  developed  poison  glands,  beneath  which  are 
situated  the  powerful  fangs  by  means  of  which  it  wounds  and 
poisons  small  birds,  mice,  bats,  etc. 

It  is  commonly  called  the  Trap-door  Spider,  because  its  nest 
consists  of  a  hole  which  it  bores  in  the  ground,  lines  with  a  soft, 
gray  silky  web,  and  provides  with  a  covering  or  trap-door  com- 
posed of  the  same  web  daubed  with  mud,  fitted  exactly  to  the 

239 


orifice  and  attached  on  one  side  by  means  of  a  web  hinge.  This 
nest  is  only  distinguishable  from  the  surrounding  soil  when  the  lid 
is  raised  by  the  insertion  of  one  of  the  insect's  claws.  The  spider 
slips  into  the  hole  with  great  rapidity,  and  drawing  down  the  cover 
seems  to  have  disappeared  by  enchantment. 

SCORPIONS.  —  Beneath  the  stones,  and  in  the  crevices  of  the 
adobe  and  other  constructions  swarm  the  Hadrurus  hirsutus,  or 
scorpions,  which  are  larger  than  the  poisonous  variety  of  Europe, 
but  also  less  poisonous,  the  pain  and  swelling  consequent  on  their 
bite  being  less. 

LUPHONUS     GlGANTEUS,  —  WHIP-TAIL    SCORPION. — The    Lu- 

photius  giganleus  is  another  variety  of  scorpion  which  is  very  much 
feared  by  the  natives  and  Mexicans,  who  call  it  Vinegarone.  It  is 
known  to  the  white  man  as  the  whip-tailed  scorpion.  Mr.  Howell 
declares  that  it  is  perfectly  innocuous.  He  has  made  a  pet  of  it 
while  studying  its  peculiarities,  and  says  it  cannot  bite  as  is  com- 
monly supposed,  because  its  mandibles,  which  resemble  lobster- 
claws,  enclose  the  true  claws  which  are  very  small,  and  the  muscles 
which  operate  them  are  too  weak  to  admit  of  its  using  force.  Its 
elongated,  filamentous  tail,  which  is  jointed,  has  no  stinger :  its 
attacks  are  restricted  to  its  natural  prey  the  cockroach,  which  it 
catches  and  crushes  with  ease,  and  it  runs  away  from  everything 
else.  It  owes  its  name  Vinegarone  to  the  strong  acid  smell  emit- 
ted through  its  well-developed  odoriferous  glands. 

TYPHON.  — The  Philampelus  Typhon  is  a  large,  beautiful  moth, 
with  a  wing  span  of  over  five  inches.  It  is  found  in  the  region  of 
Sonora,  Northern  and  Southern  Mexico.  Its  body  is  covered  with 
long  plush-like  hair,  of  a  deep  brown  color  with  pale  blue  and  black 
markings.  Its  front  wings  are  golden-brown  and  silver-gray  ;  the 
upper  portion  of  the  back  wings  is  pink,  shading  into  brown  and 
pale  blue,  with  black  markings,  and  a  white  fringe  on  the  edge 
brilliantly  iridescent.  These  moths  are  allied  in  form  and  hue  to 
those  found  on  grapevines  in  cultivated  regions.  It  is  supposed 
to  exist  in  the  larva?  and  pupa  state  upon  the  Virginia  Creeper, 
or  some  analogous  vine,  of  which  there  are  several  varieties  in 
Mexico. 

LYOENA  SONORENSIS  (BUTTERFLY).  —  The  most  common 
butterfly  of  the  region  is  a  beautiful  little  creature,  about  an  inch 

240 


and  a  half  in  wing  span,  known  as  the  Lyc&na  Sonorensis,  Feld. 
It  is  of  a  brilliant,  iridescent  sky-blue,  shading  into  turquoise, 
violet,  and  pink,  through  all  the  tints  of  the  aqua-marine  and  the 
fire  opal.  The  body  is  a  smoky  brown,  dusted  with  black  and 
white  specks,  while  the  wings,  which  are  particularly  graceful  in 
shape,  are  fringed  and  tipped  with  bands  of  black  and  white,  and 
spotted  with  black,  white,  red,  and  yellow.  These  insects  light  in 
swarms,  and  as  the  explorer  traverses  the  blooming  mezas  flutter 
up  before  him  like  blue  snow-flakes. 

BEETLES. —  In  Illustration  No.  68  is  seen  a  large  and  handsome 
black  beetle  of  silky  lustre  with  long  antennas,  the  Stenaspis  soli- 
taria.  Its  habits  are  similar  to  those  of  the  Callichroma  plicatum 
(Lee.),  also  known  as  Stenaspis  verticalis,  which  is  also  a  large 
and  handsome  longicorn  beetle  with  brilliant  metallic  wing  cases 
having  the  surface  minutely  wrinkled  like  crepe.  These  are  col- 
lected in  numbers  on  the  bushes  of  the  mesquite,  and  probably  live 
in  its  wood. 

The  Erioprosopus  splendens  is  a  large  golden-green  and  red 
beetle  also  found  on  the  mesquite. 

The  Strigidion  anulatum  is  a  large  golden-brown  beetle  with 
black  markings  on  the  under  part  of  the  body,  also  found  on  the 
mesquite. 

The  Oncideres  putator  (Thorn),  is  a  longicorn  beetle  about  an 
inch  long,  and  light-brown  in  color,  mottled  with  dark-brown  and 
cream.  It  girdles  the  mesquite  twigs,  cutting  them  off  in  order  to 
kill  the  wood  for  the  support  of  its  young. 

The  Eburia  mutica  (Lee.).  This  is  a  light-gray  longicorn  beetle 
boring  into  the  dead  wood  of  the  mesquite 

The  Ischnocuemis  bivittatus  (Dup.).  This  is  a  longicorn  beetle 
of  medium  size  and  striking  appearance,  with  lines  of  pure  white, 
upon  its  body  contrasting  with  the  dark-brown  color.  It  is  most 
frequently  found  on  the  mesquite  bushes. 

The  Polycaon  plicatus  (Lee.).  This  is  an  elongate  cylindrical 
beetle  of  black  color  with  purple  reflections,  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  in  length.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  members  of  the  family  of 
Ptinictae.  It  is  parasitic,  living  upon  the  grubs  of  other  longicorn 
beetles,  etc. 

The  Trogosita  virescens  (Fab.)  is  a  brilliant,  polished,  metallic 
16  241 


green  and  blue  beetle.  It  lives  under  the  loose  bark  of  the  mes- 
quite,  and  is  predatory  upon  the  wood-borer. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  the  Epitragus  found  upon  the 
mesquite.  These  are  elongate,  oval,  flattened  beetles  covered  with 
dark-gray  pubescences  on  a  brown,  slightly  metallic  surface.  They 
are  the  enemies  of  the  scale  and  other  plant-feeding  insects. 

The  Bruchus  prosopis  and  the  Bruchtts  uniformis  (Lee.),  are 
grayish  pea-weevils  of  small  size,  feeding  upon  the  seeds  and  ravag- 
ing the  pods  of  the  mesquite. 

The  Chrysobathris  octocola  is  a  flattened,  oval,  buprestid  beetle 
of  dark  color,  with  eight  bright  metallic  dots  upon  its  wing-cases. 
The  larvae  bore  into  the  wood  of  the  mesquite. 

Many  bark  lice  (Cocidce)  attack  the  mesquite.  One  of  the  most 
striking  of  these  is  the  Ceroplastes  nivea  (Cockerell),  which  covers 
the  branch  as  with  a  coating  of  snow,  the  separate  insects  appear- 
ing like  small  oval  cocoons  of  velvety  white  wax. 

The  Pasimachus  depressus  is  a  large  shining  black  ground- 
beetle  with  a  big  head  and  powerful  jaws,  which  is  found  on  the 
ground  under  the  dead  leaves  of  the  mesquite  bushes.  It  is  an 
extremely  useful  destroyer  of  cut-worms  and  other  insects;  but 
the  Mexicans,  who  call  it  Citcuroza^  are  very  much,  afraid  of  it, 
because  they  believe  that  its  bite  is  fatal  and  very  poisonous.  It 
is  in  reality  perfectly  harmless,  although  its  strong  jaws  enable  it 
to  pinch  quite  sharply  in  self-defence  when  handled,  and  is  exces- 
sively timid,  never  attacking  any  creatures  save  the  insects  which 
form  its  food. 

The  blossoms  of  the  mesquite  attract  multitudes  of  showy  in- 
sects, such  as  butterflies,  moths,  wasps,  bees,  and  a  variety  of  flies. 
These  do  not  feed  upon  the  plant,  but  enjoy  the  honey  of  the 
blossoms.  One  of  the  largest  and  most  striking  of  the  flies  is  the 
Volucella  Mexicana,  of  black  color,  with  black,  opaque  wing-cases, 
shading  into  transparent,  luminous  tips.  It  makes  a  loud,  hum- 
ming noise  when  flying  as  does  the  humble  bee. 


242 


GLOSSARY   OF   INDIAN   AND    MEXICAN 
TERMS. 


Amole  .....  Meal  made  from  the  seeds  of  the  Yucca 
baccata,  or  "  Spanish  Bayonet.'' 

Cajita    .....    A  kind  of  jar  made  by  potters. 

Casita An  adobe  house. 

Chia The  name  locally  given  to  the  Salvia  tilla- 

folia,  or  lime-leafed  sage. 

Chili  Coyote  .  .  The  Cucurbita  palmata,  or  perennis,  a  na- 
tive gourd. 

Datalies     ....    The  Mexican  term  for  the  Yucca  baccata. 

Ghing-skoot  .  .  A  kind  of  gambling  game.  See  Notes,  page 
214. 

Gorrita       ....    A  basket  platter  or  bowl. 

Hikori        ....    The  sacred  cactus. 

Jonta A  wattled  door. 

Kee A  house  of  grass  or  leaves. 

Kee-ho  ....  The  largest  kind  of  carrying  basket  used  by 
the  Indians. 

Metates      ....    A  stone  pestle. 

Nopal The  Indian  fig. 

Ollas Jars  of  pottery  used  as  water-coolers. 

Paisana  ....  The  Chaparral  Cock  (Geococcyx  Calif orni- 
anus),  a  kind  of  pheasant. 

Palo  de  flecha  -  The  arrow  wood  or  tree  of  the  jumping  bean 
(Sebastiana  palmer  i}. 

243 


Pinole  .     .  .A  cake  made  from  the  flour  of  the   Yucca 

baccata. 
Shaman     ....    A  medicine-man  or  sorcerer. 

Sinpee Decorations  on  pottery. 

Tah-sun-up     .     .     .  The  Lanrea  Mexicana  morea,  or  creosote 
wood,  a  plant  having  antiseptic  qualities. 
A  game  described  in  the  Notes,  page  212. 
A  liquor  made  from  sprouted  maize. 
A  dish  prepared  from  corn  meal  mixed  with 
shredded    meat,   and   seasoned    with    red 
pepper  and  onions. 
Thin  dry  cakes  made  from  maize  flour. 
A  kitchen  enclosure. 

A  Mexican  term  for  the  pods  of  the  Mar- 
tinia   atheafolia,  called    by   the    Indians 
ee-hooks. 
Vinegarone    ...    A    name    given    to    the   whiptail    scorpion 

{Luphonus  giganteus). 

Wa-pe-taikh-gut      .    A  game  played  with  reeds,  chirocote  beans, 
and  kernels  of  corn.     See  Notes,  page  213. 

Youta A  throw  of  less  than  five  in  the  game  of 

Ghing-skoot 


Tan-wa  .... 
Tequino,  or  Teswin 
Tomales  . 


Tortillas    .     . 
Uk-sa    .     .     .     . 
Unas-de  gatto    . 


244 


AMPHARITA:  AN  AMERICAN  IDYLL. 

ILLUSTRATED  BY  THE  AUTHOR 

THE   COUNTESS  DI   BRAZZA. 


Second  Edition.   Price,  $1.00. 
Peace  Bureau,  37  West  Twenty-second  Street,  New  York. 


"AMPHARITA:    AN  AMERICAN  IDYLL." 


The  Countess  di  Brazza  is  well  known  in  this  country.  Before 
her  marriage  with  Count  di  Brazza,  the  head  of  one  of  the  oldest 
families  in  Italy,  she  was  Miss  Cora  Slocomb,  the  last  of  the 
prominent  Slocomb  family,  of  New  Orleans.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  she  came  over  to  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago  as  the 
able  directress  of  the  wonderful  Exhibition  of  Italian  Laces  that 
was  under  the  patronage  of  Queen  Margherita  of  Italy,  and  con- 
tained many  priceless  heirlooms  belonging  to  the  Italian  aristoc- 
racy. She  wrote  "A  Guide  to  Old  and  New  Lace  in  Italy," 
published  at  that  time,  and  has  delivered  in  this  country  numerous 
public  addresses  on  the  lives,  work  and  needs  of  those  of  the 
Italian  laboring  class  who  are  engaged  in  lace  making.  The 
Countess  has  the  sympathy  and  co-operation  of  her  husband  in 
her  views  and  projects. 

In  "  Ampharita :  An  American  Idyll,"  she  comes  for  the  first 
time  before  the  public  in  a  strictly  literary  capacity,  and  it  must 
be  admitted  that  she  has  produced  a  suggestive  and  most  touching 
as  well  as  entirely  unique  story. 

Mrs.  Ellen  Richardson  says,  in  the  Arena,  of  February,  1897: 

"Ampharita:  An  American  Idyll,"  by  the  Countess  di  Brazza,  is  a  true 
story  told  in  a  most  charming  way.  It  gives  graphically  an  easy  understand- 
ing of  a  phase  of  human  life,  primitive  and  natural,  such  as  can  only  be  found 
on  our  continent  among  certain  tribes  of  our  North  American  Indians. 

The  story  has  for  its  hero  a  noted  scientist,  whose  name  is  not  given ; 
he  is  called  throughout  the  tale  the  white  "Shaman,"  or  Medicine  Man. 
The  heroine  is  an  Indian  maiden  bearing  the  name  of  Ampharita  (the  silent 
one). 

It  is  so  rare  to  find  a  tale  of  Indian  life  which  gives  the  pure,  sweet, 
honor  side  of  the  Indian  nature  that  this  book  of  the  Countess  di  Brazza  is 
more  than  a  valuable  contribution  to  our  historical  or  folk-lore  libraries  ;  it 
is  as  well  a  story  of  healthy  sentiment  and  a  grand  tribute  to  these  children 
of  nature. 

The  scene  of  the  story  is  laid  in  Arizona  and  among  the  Sierra  Madre 
mountains  in  northwestern  Mexico.  The  Pima  Baia  tribes  of  whom  the 
story  treats  belong  to  the  best  agricultural  tribes  of  all  the  North  American 
Indians;  they  are  noted  for  their  peaceable,  industrious,  hospitable  ways. 
They  are  of"  a  religious  nature,  and  easily  convertible  to  Christianity. 
Their  own  beliefs  would  make  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  study  of 
comparative  religions  as  carried  on  in  the  Monsalvat  School  at  Greenacre, 
Eliot,  Maine. 

"  The  Scientist,"  who  is  the  hero  of  the  story,  was  on  an  exploring 
expedition  into  the  southern  portion  of  what  we  call  the  Great  American 
Desert,  not  only-  to  study  the  "topography  of  the  country,  the  language, 
customs,  and  physiognomy  of  its  human  inhabitants,  its  meteorology  and 

feology  ;  but  also  to  collect  and  classify,  as  far  as  possible,  specimens  of  its 
ora  and  of  the  animals,  reptiles,  and  insects  of  the  highlands  of  the  Sierra 
Madre,  which  are  even  less  known  to  science  than  the  scattered  aborigines 
of  the  same  desolate  region.1" 


There  are  descriptions  of  the  adobe,  mesquite,  and  cactus  wood  houses, 
of  the  plants,  flowers,  insects,  and  reptiles  of  that  region,  all  of  which  are 
made  more  interesting:  by  the  illustrations  drawn  by  the  Countess,  who 
seems  to  be  as  facile  with  her  pencil  as  with  her  pen. 

Ampharita  was  one  of  the  children  of  the  Pima  Bajas  who  ran  hither 
and  thither  collecting  specimens  for  the  "Shaman."  She  was  a  keen  observer 
and  lover  of  nature,  and  her  knowledge  was  quite  as  accurate  as  her 
master's.  "Whether  as  guide  leading  him  on  arduous  expeditions  up  the 
mountain  side,  or  when  seeking  for  unknown  growths  on  the  mezas  or  in  the 
barrancas,  he  found  her  never  at  fault." 

Nature  had  taught  Ampharita  the  quality  of  her  creatures,  and  she  in 
turn  taught  much  to  the  Scientist.  As  time  went  on  he  grew  fond  of  his 
silent  companion,  and  beguiled  many  a  homesick  hour  while  resting  from 
his  arduous  studies,  by  describing  to  her  his  own  home,  and  life  in  the  cities 
of  the  civilized  world.  He  told  her  about  the  schools  and  the  amusements  of 
the  educated  people,  of  music  as  it  is  known  to  the  cultured  ;  he  described 
our  museums,  hospitals,  and  churches.  Of  the  hospitals  she  would  ask  over 
and  over  again,  "trying  to  grasp  the  stupendous  suggestion  contained  in 
such  an  assertion  as  :  We  have  especial  homes  for  poor  children  who  have 
lost  their  parents.  Many  of  them  wider  and  higher  than  this  barranca,  and 
filled  with  more  babies  than  there  are  men  and  women  and  children  in  your 
whole  tribe.1"  The  description  of  "the  churches,  though  grand,  left5  her 
somewhat  cold,  for  she  did  not  like  the  idea  of  a  roof,  the  emblazoned 
walls  and  stained  glass  windows,  which  she  said  must  shut  out  the  breath  of 
God." 

However,  "  the  more  Ampharita  heard  about  the  world  as  white  women 
know  it,  the  more  her  wonder  grew,  and  at  last  gave  birth  to  an  intense 
yearning  actually  to  behold  some  of  the  marvels  with  which  she  had  become 
familiar  by  hearsay." 

The  master  and  assistant  teach  many  lessons  to  each  other,  equally  valu- 
able to  the  reader  of  the  book,  who  may  well  ask  as  she  lays  the  book  down, 
Is  it  better  to  be  civilized  or  uncivilized? 

We  find  ourselves  drawn  into  the  soliloquy  of  the  Scientist,  when  he  asks, 
"  What  is  civilized  learning  ?  What  is  our  philosophy  ?  They  are  the 
servants  of  the  love  of  the  world.  Our  existence  is  an  unknown  mystery, 
insolvable  by  science.  '  Thou  hast  hidden  these  things  from  the  knowing 
and  prudent,  and  revealed  them  unto  babes.'  Our  many  books  crush  the 
spirit.  Eyes  grow  dull  that  see  only  printed  words.  Incessant  analysis  of 
matter  atrophies  the  soul.  Death  is  the  most  wonderful  of  all  the  changes 
in  Evolution.  Science  stops  at  the  grave  as  if  the  circle  of  life  were  com- 
pleted, as  if  the  component  parts  were  dispersed  and  reabsorbed,  as  if  a 
man's  entity  were  gone." 

The  pleasing  and  skillful  management  of  light  and  shade  through  out  the 
book,  in  the  contrast  of  the  kind  of  knowledge  possessed  by  the  hero  and 
the  heroine,  and  the  test  that  is  put  to  truth  in  their  episode  of  sentiment, 
lead  the  reader  to  ask  if  the  greater  study,  "Man,  know  thyself,"  is  not  the 
neglected  science,  which  has  turned  our  conditions  topsy-turvy.  "  So  many 
delving  in  Science  know  only  the  prejudices  of  the  world,  taking  in  one- 
sided views  of  events  and  human  intercourse  ;  what  they  call  self-develop- 
ment is  supreme  selfishness.  Things  that  are  eternal  do  not  figure  in  the 
calculations  of  such.  Truth  walks  with  us  here,  but  we  know  it  not.  Are 
human  sacrifices  needful  to  wake  the  intellect  and  catch  the  vibrations  of 
one's  own  soul?" 

"An  American  Idyll"  is  a  healthy  book,  calculated  to  inform  and 
better  the  world.  It  is  not  only  most  entertainingly  written,  but  it  is 
truth,  conveying  simple  and  strong  lessons  of  a  life  in  a  style  to  be  easily 
assimilated.  . 

From  the  Anthropological  Society,  Washington,  D.  C. : 

I  have  just  finished  your  book,  "  An  American  Idyll,"  and  I  wish  to  say 
it  is  charming,  not  only  because  it  is  well  written  and.  is  a  pretty  story,  but 
because  an  added  charm  lies  in  its  construction. 

The  scientific  facts  are  woven  into  the  thread  of  the  story  with  such  skill 
that,  instead  of  the  usual  trite,  prosy  descriptions  of  such  material  found  in 
similar  publications,  each  plant,  animal,  piece  of  pottery,  custom,  religious 
ceremony,  and  myth,  forms  a  part  of  the  chain,  so  that  the  dropping  out  of 
a  single  one  would  destroy  the  continuity  of  the  whole.  This  is  something 


that  no  other  woman  has  attempted,  not   even    pretending  to  thorough 
scientific  training. 

Your  descriptions  and  illustrations  are  accurate  and  admirable,  as  I 
know  from  personal  familiarity  with  the  objects,  when  you  copied  them 
from  the  specimens  here. 

The  appendix  is  very  good.  On  the  whole,  I  congratulate  you  upon  the 
book.  You  should  have  a  good  and  quick  sale  of  the  editions  ;  it  will  be  one 
of  the  books  of  the  day,  and  a  money-maker  for  your  publisher. 

Sincerely  yours,  J.  H.  McCORMlCK,  M.D., 

Secretary  of   the     Anthropological 
Society  ;    Ass't-Secretary  of  the 
American    Folk-Lore     Society  ; 
Ass't-Secretary  of  the  American 
Antiquary,  etc. 

From  the  Scientific  American,  February  20,  1897: 

The  accomplished  author,  who  so  gracefully  bears  the  title  and  does 
honor  to  the  station  of  a  Countess,  has  in  this  little  prose  poem  interwoven  a 
fabric  of  sentiment  with  varicolored  threads  of  science.  The  hero  is  a 
scientist  visiting  northern  Mexico  in  the  pursuit  of  studies  anthropological, 
zoological,  geological,  etc.,  and  his  assistant,  the  heroine,  is  a  young  Indian 
maiden.  As  together  they  try  to  collect  data  which  may  be  of  assistance  in 
solving  some  of  nature's  mysteries,  their  mutual  interest  in  each  other 
becomes  of  far  greater  moment  to  both  of  them  than  the  work  itself.  It  is 
the  old,  old,  but  ever  new  story,  narrated  with  a  felicity  of  expression,  an 
amplitude  of  illustration,  and  a  psychological  insight  into  character,  similar 
perhaps,  though  in  such  a  widely  different  field,  to  that  shown  by  Corinne 
in  her  conversations  with  Nevil,  in  the  great  work  of  Madame  de  Stael. 
The  book  also  presents,  in  text  and  illustrations,  a  good  deal  of  new  and 
valuable  information  about  the  Pima  Indians  of  Northern  Mexico. 

The  Portland  (Ore.)  Oregonian,  of  February  14,  1897,  does 
not  agree  with  the  widely  diffused  and  esteemed  Scientific 
American,  however,  for  it  says: 

In  "An  American  Idyll,"  Countess  di  Brazzahas  woven  an  Elaine  and 
Launcelot  romance  from  the  love  of  a  young  Pima  Indian  girl  for  an 
exploring  white  man  who  lived  with  her  father's  tribe  in  Arizona,  collect- 
ing specimens  for  scientific  use.  Something  of  the  habits  and  thought  of  the 
Pimas  is  worked  into  the  story,  but  it  is  all  done  in  a  schoolgirl  fashion  that 
creates  no  more  impression  of  reality  than  do  the  crude  illustrations  of 
native  tools,  huts  and  flowers  that  are  scattered  at  random  through  the  story. 

The  New  Orleans  (La.)  Times-Democrat,  March  7,  1897, 
however,  does  not  agree  with  the  Oregonian.  It  says: 

The  Pima  Bajas  inhabit  the  elevated  table  lands  which  slope  gradually 
from  the  Sierre  Madre  to  the  arid  regions  between  El  Paso  and  the  more 
fertile  neighborhood  of  the  capital  of  Chihuahua.  Here  they  dwelt  when 
the  Spanish  explorers  first  passed  through  that  region  on  their  way  to  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  here  they  have  remained  ever  since,  a  hospitable,  peace 
loving  people,  famed  for  their  culture,  virtue,  civility  and  docile  acceptance 
of  the  teachings  of  the  missionary  friars.  It  is  "among  them  that  the 
Countess  di  Brazza  has  laid  the  scene  of  her  little  romance,  the  story  of  the 
love  and  devotion  of  one  of  the  untutored  maidens  of  the  tribe  for  a  scientist 
who  sojourned  for  a  time  at  the  pueblo.  The  little  story,  which  the  author 
professes  to  have  had  from  the  lips  of  the  Scientist  himself,  is  told  with 
sympathetic  tenderness  and  much  poetic  grace. 


From  Portland  (Me.)  Express,  March  2,  1897:  . 

The  author  of  this  pathetic  story  was  formerly  Miss  Cora  Slocomb,  of 
New  Orleans,  and  she  is  also  well  known  as  the  directress  of  the  exhibition 
of  Italian  laces  at  the  Chicago  Exposition.  She  is  also  the  author  of  the 
book  "A  Guide  to  Old  and  New  Lace  in  Italy."  In  an  "American  Idyll" 


she  comes  before  the  public  for  the  first  time  in  a  strictly  literary 
capacity.  She  tells  the  touching  story  of  a  scientist  and  an  Indian  girl 
of  the  Baja  tribe  of  the  Pima  Indians  in  Northern  Mexico.  It  is  a  touching 
and  pathetic  story,  and  the  contrast  between  the  civilized  European  and  the 
uncivilized  Indian  girl  is  strongly  presented,  and  there  is  nothing  objection- 
able in  the  story,  both  the  hero  and  the  heroine  being  actuated  by  the  purest 
motives.  The  book  is  fully  illustrated  by  drawings  from  the  photographs 
and  actual  specimens  from  the  region  described,  and  contains  much  infor- 
mation about  a  little-known  territory  and  people. 

From  the  San  Francisco  (Cal.)  Call,  February  21,  1897: 

"  An  American  Idyll"  is  her  first  purely  literary  work.  It  relates  to  a 
young  scientist  who  goes  out  among  the  Indians  of  Northern  Mexico  to 
study  them  and  the  fauna  and  flora  of  their  habitat.  The  heroine  of  the 
story  is  an  Indian  girl,  Ampharita,  who  assists  him  in  his  zoological  and 
botanical  studies. 

From  the  Brooklyn  Standard  Union,  February  27,  1897: 

"  An  American  Idyll,"  by  the  Countess  di  Brazza  (Cora  Slocomb).  is 
a  mixture  of  science  and  romance,  botany,  love  and  agriculture,  and  a 
very  interesting  story  it  is.  The  book  is  nicely  illustrated. 

From  the  Baltimore  (Md.)  Sun,  February  25,  1897: 

Indian  customs  and  traditions,  strung  upon  a  thread  of  story,  is  the 
substance  of  "  An  American  Idyll."  Bv  the  Countess  di  Brazza  (Cora 
Slocomb.)  The  interest  centres  in  an  Indian  girl.  There  are  explanatory 
notes  on  the  Indian  terms  employed  in  the  book. 

From  the  Burlington  (Iowa)  Hawk  Eye,  February  19,  1897: 

"  An  American  Idyll,"  a  story  by  the  Countess  di  Brazza,  is  one  of  the 
most  touching  and  in  a  sense  the  most  unique  story  of  the  day.  Its  hero,  a 
young  European  of  wealth,  is  known  only  as  "the  scientist."  In  his  scientific 
thirst  for  new  worlds  to  conquer  he  visits  the  chief  settlement  of  the  Baja 
tribe  of  Pima  Indians  in  Northern  Mexico.  Here  takes  place  the  tragedy 
brought  about  by  the  love  of  "  Ampharita"  (the silent  one),  the  lovely,  inno- 
cent Pima  maiden,  for  the  scientist. 

From  the  Tacoma  (Wash.)  Daily  News,  February  19,  1897: 

"  An  American  Idyll,"  by  Countess  de  Brazza.  This  is  an  unique  story  of 
the  adventures  of  a  young  European  scientist  among  the  almost  unknown 
Baja  tribe  of  Pima  Indians  in  Mexico,  where  he  meets  the  heroine,  a  young 
Piman  maiden,  who  becomes  his  guide  and  assistant  in  specimen  gathering 
expeditions  as  well  as  his  servant  in  every  day  life.  The  scientist  tells  her 
of  life  among  his  people  in  Europe,  and  she  wants  to  accompany  him  there. 
A  peculiar  state  of  feeling  grows  up  between  the  two,  and  the  height  of 
civilization  and  the  depth  of  savagery  meet  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  no  other 
book.  The  outcome  is  hardly  creditable  to  civilization,  but  there  is  nothing 
risqu£  in  the  story,  the  author  believing  that  "  purity  is  more  typical  of  the 
human  race  than  impurity."  The  valuable  and  rare  information  concerning 
the  Pimas  and  their  country  is  entirely  authentic,  and  the  book  contains 
seventy-five  illustrations,  all  drawn  from  original  specimens  and  photo- 
graphs of  the  people,  plant  life  and  scenes  in  this  scarcely  known  part  of  the 
American  continent. 

From  the  Denver  Republican,  February  15,  1897: 

"  An  American  Idyll,"  by  the  Countess  di  Brazza  (Cora  Slocomb) 
The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  Arizona  and  among  the  Sierra  Mad  re 
mountains  in  Northwestern  Mexico.  The  Indian  tribes,  whose  habitations, 
customs,  and  characters  are  pictured,  are  the  Pima  Bajas,  who  are  among 
the  most  peaceful,  industrious,  and  hospitable  Indian  tribes  in  America. 
The  book  tells  a  great  deal  about  the  "  Great  American  Desert,"  its  topo- 
graphy, the  language,  customs,  and  physiognomy  of  its  inhabitants,  its 
meteorology,  geology,  animals,  reptiles,  etc.  And  through  the  work  on  the 
natural  history  of  this  region  the  author  carries  a  little  story  of  sentiment. 


From  the  New  York  Times,  April  3,  1897  : 

The  Countess  di  Brazza  has  a  winning  way  in  clothing  a  scientist  in 
fairly  bright  colors  as  the  hero  of  "An  American  Idyll."  The  archaeological 
romance  has  been  attempted  before,  and  it  has  failed  because  it  was  too 
archaeological.  In  the  pretty  story  of  "  Ampharita."  we  have  mixed  in  fair 

Eroportions  the  ways  and  habits  of  the  Indians  in  Northern  Mexico,  their 
Dlk-lore,  and  a  sympathetic  episode  of  love.    The  story  is  a  clever  and 
touching  one,  and  artistically  wrought  out. 

From  the  Portland  (Ore.)  Evening  Express,  March  2,  1897  : 

"An  American  Idyll,"  by  the  Countess  di  Brazza  .  In  "An  American  Idyll '' 
she  comes  before  the  public  for  the  first  time  in  a  strictly  literary 
capacity.  She  tells  the  touching  story  of  a  scientist  and  an  Indian  girl  of 
the  Baja  tribe  of  the  Pima  Indians  in  Northern  Mexico.  It  is  a  touching  and 
pathetic  sfory,  and  the  contrast  between  the  civilized  European  and  the 
uncivilized  Indian  girl  is  strongly  presented.  The  book  is  fully  illustrated 
by  drawings  from  the  photographs  and  actual  specimens  from,  the  regions 
described,  and  contains  much  information  about  a  little  known  territory  and 
people. 

From  the  Portland  (Me.)  Transcript,  February  17,  1897  : 

•'An  American  Idyll  "  is  the  title  chosen  by  the  Countess  di  Brazza  for 
her  first  distinctly  literary  production.  Its  hero,  a  voung  European,  devoted 
to  science,  visits  the  Pima  Indians,  where  he  finds  Ampharita,  the  fairest 
daughter  of  the  tribe,  who  becomes  his  attendant,  servant,  guide  and  friend. 
The  best  of  the  book  lies  in  the  careful  descriptions  of  the  Indian  life  and 
civilization  and  their  country.  There  are  many  illustrations. 

From  the  Westerly  (Conn.)  Daily  Sun,  January  n,  1897,  and 
the  Norwich  (Conn.)  Bulletin,  January  9,  1897: 

Friends  of  Countess  Cora  Slocomb  di  Brazzi,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Cuthbert 
Harrison  tjlocomb  of  Ciroton,  have  been  aware  for  some  time  that  she  \yas 
making  a  careful  study  of  Indian  life  in  America  with  a  view  to  obtaining 
local  color  for  an  historical  novel.  This  study  has  culminated  in  an  "Ameri- 
can Idyll,"  advance  copies  of  which  have  been  issued  this  week.  The 
scenes  of  the  story  are  laid  in  the  country  of  the  Pima  Indians  in  Southern 
Arizona,  the  picturesque  background  furnishing  an  effective  setting  for  the 
charming  love  tale  with  which  the  historical  facts  are  interwoven.  In  cotn- 
panv  with  her  husband  the  Count,  who  is  deeply  interested  in  scientific 
study, i  Countess  di  Brazza-  has  travelled  extensively  in  obtaining  material 
for  this  work,  which  is  illustrated  by  her  own  drawings,  and  both  hurried 
back  to  America  from  the  recent  wedding  of  the  Prince  of  Naples  in  order 
to  supervise  the  finishing  touches  of  the  book,  which  is  beautifully  bound. 

Explanatory  notes  bearing  upon  the  Pimas  and  their  homes  and  lives, 
and  a  glossary  of  Indian  and  Mexican  terms,  add  to  the  practical  value  of  the 
book  for  the  general  reader.  The  heroine  is  a  charming  child,  ingenuous 
and  engaging.  In  her  introduction  the  titled  author  vouches  for  the  love 
tale  as  true,  and  the  narration  of  a  well  known  scientist  whose  name  is 
illustrious  throughout  the  civilized  world. 

From  the  Kansas  City  (Mo.)  Times,  February  8,  1897  : 

"An  American  Idyll,"  by  the  Countess  di  Brazza  (Cora  Slocomb).  The 
Countess  di  Brazza  is  well  known  in  this  country.  In  the  present  volume 
she  comes  for  the  first  time  before  the  public  in  a  purely  literary  capacity. 

The  hero  of  the  story,  a  handsome  and  wealthy  young  scientist,  pays  a 
visit  to  the  chief  settlement  of  the  Baja  tribe  of  Pima  Indians  in  Northern 
Mexico,  about  whom  next  to  nothing  has  ever  been  known  by  the  outside 
world.  The  book  contains  much  valuable  and  rare  information  concerning 
the  Pimas  and  their  country. 


From  the  Elmira  (N.  Y.)  Telegram,  February  7,  1897,  and 
the  Philadelphia  (Pa.)  Evening  Item,  February  8,  1897: 

In  "An  American  Idyll  "  the  Countess  di  Brazza  conies  for  the  first  time 
before  the  American  public  in  a  more  strictly  literary  capacity. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  she  has  produced  a  suggestive  and  a  most  touch- 
ing, as  well  as  in  one  sense  an  entirely  unique,  story.  Its  hero,  who  is 
known  throughout  simply  as  "  the  Scientist,"  is  a  handsome  young  European 
•of  wealth  and  position,  devoted  to  scientific  pursuits. 

In  his  scientific  thirst  for  new  worlds  to  conquer,  he  pays  a  long  visit, 
with  a  view  to  making  an  anthropological,  meteorological,  topographical, 
:geological,  zoological,  and  botanical  study  of  them  and  their  habitats  to  the 
chief  settlement  of  the  Baja  tribe  of  Pima  Indians  in  Northern  Mexico, 
•about  whom  next  to  nothing  has  ever  been  known  by  the  outside  world. 

Here  the  heroine,  a  young  Piman  maiden,  Ampharita  ("The  Silent  One") 
by  name,  the  most  intelligent  and  skillful  person  for  his  purposes  to  be  found 
in  the  village,  becomes  his  guide,  attendant  and  assistant  on  specimen^ 
gathering  expeditions,  and  his  aid  in  preserving  and  arranging  the  booty, 
as  well  as  his  servant  in  every-day  life. 

It  may  be  said  right  here  that  Ampharita  is  the  real  charm  of  the  book. 
She  hits  us  hard  with  a  fascination  that  may  neither  be  resisted  at  the  time 
nor  afterwards  forgotten. 

Just  budding  into  womanhood,  promising  rare  beauty,  possessing  abso- 
lutely nothing  in  the  way  of  education  as  civilization  understands  the  term, 
with  her  distorted  visions  of  the  European  life  the  Scientist  has  tried 
to  describe  to  her,  and  no  experience  of  the  world,  but  with  her  native 
•eloquence  (once  her  heart  has  unloosed  her  tongue),  a  keen  mind  that  has 
silently  mastered,  assimilated  and  reasoned  upon  the  pabulum  Nature  and 
her  daily  life  have  spread  before  her,  with  phemomenal  observation,  dis- 
cernment, memory,  all  her  intuitions  unspoilt,  as  Natiire  gives  them,  and  the 
woman's  heart  that  knows  no  clime,  condition  nor  color — here  was  a  chance 
for  a  creation  indeed,  and  the  chance  has  been  grasped  to  the  full ! 

For  the  state  of  feeling  and  the  story  that  grew  up  between  these  two, 
and  the  lesson  that  story  contains,  the  reader  can  only  in  justice  be  referred 
to  the  book  itself. 

Civilization  and  Savagery  meet  in  two  choice  representatives,  and  the 
•credit  does  not  exactly  lie  with  Civilization  in  the  sequel.  It  may  be  stated 
that  there  is  nothing  risque  in  the  story  ;  the  author  holds  that  "purity  is 
more  typical  of  the  human  race  than  impurity,"  and  is  a  firm  believer  in 
"healthy  literature. 

From  the  Indianapolis  (Ind.)  Sentinel,  February  24,  1897: 

"An  American  Idyll"  is  an  illustrated  story  by  the  Countess  di  Brazza,  for- 
merly Miss  Cora  Slocomb,  of  New  Orleans.  The  hero  here  is  "the  Scientist," 
a  handsome  young  man  of  wealth  and  position,  devoted  to  scientific 
pursuits.  He  visits  the  Baja  tribe  of  Pima  Indians  in  Northern  Mexico, 
Here  is  found  the  heroine,  a  young  Pima  maiden.  Being  the  most 
intelligent  and  skillful  person  in  the  yillage,  she  becomes  the  scientist's 

fuide,  attendant  and  assistant  on  specimen  gathering  expeditions.  This 
eroine  is  the  interesting  study  of  the  book.  We  are  also  interested  in 
this  meeting  of  two  choice  representatives  of  civilization  and  savagery. 
The  valuable  and  rare  information  concerning  the  Pimas  and  their  country 
is  entirely  authentic.  Quite  a  lengthy  appendix  is  given,  furnishing  full 
information  about  the  Pima  Indians,  and  there  is  also  a  glossary. 

From  the  Portsmouth  (N.  H.)  Daily  Chronicle,  Feb.  i,  1897: 

In  "  An  American  Idyll "  the  Countess  di  Brazza  comes  for  the  first 
time  before  the  American  public  in  a  literary  capacity.  It  must  be  admitted 
that  she  has  produced  a  suggestive  and  a  most  touching,  as  well  as  in  one 
sense  an  entirely  unique,  story.  It  may  be  stated  that  there  is  nothing  risque 
in  the  story ; -the  author  holds  that  "purity  is  more  typical  of  the  human 
race  than  impurity,"  and  is  a  firm  believer  in  healthy  literature.  The  valu- 
able and  rare  information  concerning  the  Pimas  and  their  country  is  entirely 
authentic.  The  numerous  illustrations,  both  full  page  and  in  the  text,  were 
drawn  from  original  specimens  and  photographs  recently  collected  in 
Mexico  by  an  expedition  under  the  auspices  of  the  United  States  Bureau  of 
Ethnology. 


Published  simultaneously  with  the  second  edition  of"Ampharita.'" 

A    LITERARY   FARCE. 

BY  THE 

COUNTESS  Dl  BRAZZA. 

Edition  de  Luxe,  50  Cents. 


A  Social,   Up-to-date  Comedy  in  Three  Scenes. 


DEAR  MADAM  :  I  have  read  with  a  great  deal  of  interest  and  pleasure 
your  little  work  for  the  stage.  ...  It  would,  I  think,  interest  and  enter- 
tain an  audience  on  some  special  occasion. 

Very  truly, 

AUGUSTIN  DALY. 

DEAR  COUNTESS  :  .  .  .  While  writing  may  I  be  very  frank  in  offering 
my  criticism  of  your  work  ?  Its  positive  excellence  makes  me  regret  what 
1  regard  as  a  defect ;  the  habit  of  labeling  character  Lady  Modish,  Lord 
Scapegrace  and  the  like  is  obsolete.  It  is  an  artificial  note,  and  your  nimble 
fancy  is  natural  and  full  of  grace,  and  your  quick  wit  merits  better  treat- 
ment at  your  hands. 

.  .  .  The  names  Mr.  Social  Success  and  Prof.  Blue-Pencil  Lynx  might 
have  caused  me  to  drop  the  book,  and  in  so  doing  I  should  have  done  the 
writer  grievous  injustice,  and  deprived  myself  of  a  real  pleasure,  too. 

Please  pardon  this  quite  uncalled  for  expression  of  opinion  ;  it  is  simply 
the  sincere  criticism  of  a  very  humble  writer  to  a  fellow-craftsman,  and  is 
offered  from  a  sheer  love  of  good  art  as  such,  and  interest  in  the  success  of 
your  own  good  gifts.  It  may  be  that  1  am  alone  in  my  feeling.  The 
comments  I  hear  about  it  are  of  praise,  and  it  may  be  that  even  if  it 
commended  itself  to  you  to  change  the  names,  your  publishers  would  resent 
it ;  and  in  any  case  I  may  be  all  wrong.  But  my  conviction  is  such  that  I 
should  not  be  honest  to  you  if  I  withheld  it. 

Thanking  you  for  a  delightful  experience, 

Sincerely, 

MARGUERITA  MERRINGTON. 

From  the  Editorial  department  of  the  Century  Magazine, 
New  York  City: 

MY  DEAR  COUNTESS  DI  BRAZZA :  I  comply  at  once  to  your  request  by 
sending  the  play  herewith.  I  have  not  read  it.  I  am  glad  to  find  an  author 
in  such  demand,  and  congratulate  you.  It  is  an  experience  the  Century 
does  not  often  have,  to  return  MSS.  before  decision.  .  .  . 

With  kindest  wishes  for  your  success, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

R.  M.  JOHNSON,  Associate  Editor. 


A     000118272     A 


